Friends with Benefits
by silentnights626
Summary: Can a budding friendship include sex and survive without anyone getting hurt in the long run?
1. Chapter 1: Breaking up is so hard to do

**HI. So I recently saw the movie Friends with Benefits (Staring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis) and thought "Hmmmm this would be fun with a Glee twist". So here it is.**

**Read, Enjoy, and Comment :0)**

**Oh BTW: I don't own Glee or the movie Friends with Benefits. I just like to twist stuff for fun!**

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><p>Friends with Benefits:<p>

_**Breaking up is so hard to do**_:

**Early March Night in Memphis TN**:

"SHIT" Sam growled as he ran frantically from his car.

He was officially ten minutes late for his movie date with his girlfriend. His golden hair bounced as he flew by people on the busy Memphis sidewalk, granting a passing apology as he bumped into some. His flannel shirt flew behind him like a cape, as he ran straight up to the box office, their agreed upon meeting point. He spotted her from behind, knowing her shape quite well. She was wearing dark washed jeans, a floral peasant top, and green flats. He silently prepared himself for a tongue lashing.

"Hey" he sighed, attempting to catch his breath, while putting on his most charming smile, hoping it would some how reduce the anger he knew had built up in her due to his tardiness.

"Your late" she said dryly, as she turned to face him. Her eyes where slanted with frustration. Her brows where furrowed and her lips tight. Apparently his smile didn't work.

"Your beautiful" he sang as wrapped his arm around her waist in an attempt to pull her close into an apologetic embrace.

She placed her arm in front of her, preventing him from pulling her in too close. "We need to talk" she huffed as she folded her arms across her body, placing all of her weight onto her left hip. "I can't do this anymore"

"What?" Sam questioned "I'm only ten minutes late. We only missed the previews and honestly we're going to miss more if we keep standing here" he stated as he placed his hand on the small of her back in an effort to herd her into the theater.

"No" she huffed as she stiffened her body, and planted her feet firmly. "Look Sam, I like you, I really do"

"I like you too baby" he smiled pulling her by her into him by her hips.

"But, I just can't rely on you and I don't know where we're going" she finished pushing him away, placing a respectable amount of space between them. "So I'm out"

"Olive" Sam pleaded to the red head across from him. "Baby, look I know I've been late and kind of unreliable these past few weeks. But I've been busy with my music and-"

"See" the slender, pale woman interrupted, in a frustrated tone. "There's that too!"

"There's what too?" Sam questioned as he placed his hands on his hips, in a defensive manner.

"That, that music stuff" she sighed, as her faced twisted into an expression that seemed like she smelled a rotten onion. "Sweetie your 25 years old, and if it hasn't happened for you yet, it's just not going to"

"Seriously?" he huffed slightly raising his voice. "Well you didn't have a problem with my music ambitions when I met you at the club I was performing at"

"It was cute then. I thought it was like, you know, a hobby" she shrugged, her bright green eyes lightening. "But after six months, of going to your gigs, sitting in bars, barely full bars might I add, and being your sole "groupie" I'm sick of it. Then I never even got any of the perks of being your girlfriend" she added, throwing her hands up in the air.

"What? I take you out, spring for dinner, and let me tell you for a slim girl you can pack it away" he shot back allowing his emotions to take over for him. "Heck you clean your plate and some of mine"

"Hey!" she shot back as she wacked his shoulder "I'm not talking about going out to dinner or going to the comic book shop, which by the way is _NOT_ a real date. You know if I wanted to sit in a room full of nerd, breathing through their mouths, and discussing the finer points of Iron Man, while they gawk at the lone girl in the room" she huffed as she pointed to herself "I would take a trip down to the IT division of my company."

"Then what are you talking about then. And hey you got all of your books free, and you were always thoroughly prepared for any comic movie I took you to" Sam retorted in defense.

"Okay, first of all _YOU_ took any book I got. And I'm talking about the fact that I have yet to meet any one from your family" Olive sighed. "You're so emotionally guarded. You won't even introduce the girl you're seeing, the girl who told you she loved you, to your family. Oh, and by the way, that went well" she rolled her eyes, as she yelled in a sarcastic tone. "You handled that perfectly!"

"What?"

"When I told you I loved you, your reply was "Thanks. You want a breakfast burrito?" I mean what was that? Who does that?"

"Look, you caught me off guard" Sam yelled, pointing his index at her. "I had just woken up. And it was morning. I figured you'd be hungry"

"Yeah after you yelling that crappy fake language in my ear all night" she sighed.

"Hey, Na'vi is very much a real language and will be what Klingon is to Star Trek" Sam yelled back.

"Oh my god!" Olive yelled as she stomped in a little frustrated circle in front of the theater doors. "And you have YET to say you love me too. So I'm asking right here right now Sam Evans, do you love me?" Olive froze in front of Sam, her hands on her hips, her lips tight in a frown, as she peered into his eyes, waiting for his answer.

Sam froze. He knew he didn't love her. Hell, at this moment he barely liked her. But he didn't want to break up with her. So internally he panicked. He was stuck in a very hard situation. How could he be honest about his feelings (or lack of feelings), but still maintaining their relationship? "See" he began in a diplomatic tone.

"Nope" Olive cut him off, as she began to walk to her car.

"Wait, I didn't even get to finish" he yelled to her back, as she stomped off.

Olive paused and turned around to face Sam for the last time. "When you do, you know love someone, which you probably never find it in yourself to do. But when you do, you don't have to pause to say it. It just comes. And with that we're done Sam!" Olive turned, and continued to make her way to her vehicle, leaving Sam in front of the theater, alone.

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><p><strong>Okay the movie was done by the same guys who did Easy A (staring Emma Stone) and yes I used the lead characters name from that movie... just thought I'd throw that in.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2: Damaged Goods

**Hi. So here is Chapter 2**

**Still don't own Glee or Friends with Benefits. **

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><p><em><strong>Damaged Goods:<strong>_

**That Same Night, In New York:**

"Hey Baby" Mercedes cooed as she walked up to her large boyfriend. "Gym training run long?" she questioned as she wrapped him into a tight squeeze.

"Uh yeah" Shane sighed a bit unsure as he quickly hugged her back.

"Well I hope you're not too tired for the show" Mercedes smiled as she fished the two tickets out of her purse. "I've been waiting for this concert" she beamed. "It should be epic"

"Uh yeah" Shane repeated as he fidgeted, with his fingers. "Look 'Cedes we need to talk"

"Okay we can talk when we find our seats" she said, totally preoccupied with the fishing expedition she was on for their tickets for the Ledis concert.

"Uh that's just it, I'm not going to the concert" Shane replied, taking a slight step back from her.

Mercedes head snapped up, quickly changing her focus from her purse to the large man standing in front of her. "What?" she questioned, her eye glaring at him, from under her bangs.

"I said I'm not going in with you" Shane reiterated as he took another step back, widening their distance.

"What do you _mean_ you're not going in with me? I got these tickets for us!" Mercedes shot, through grit teeth, taking two steps towards him, closing the new found space Shane created.

"Look 'Cedes, you're cool and we've had fun these past six months, but I can't do this" Shane sighed.

"You can't what!" Mercedes shouted "go to a concert that I paid for?" she asked stepping closer to the larger man.

"No" Shane answered in a hushed tone in an attempt to remind her to lower her voice because they were in public and he didn't want to cause a scene. "I can't, date you any more"

"Oh HELL TO THE NO!" Mercedes shouted, obviously ignoring Shane's verbal cue. "You are NOT breaking up with me before this concert. Like right as we are standing out side of it? Seriously Shane?"

"See this is part of the problem, you always want everything _YOUR_ way" Shane sighed, as he rolled his eyes "You're such a spoiled little control freak, that you demand everything go your way, how you want it, when you want it!"

"What are you talking about?" Mercedes questioned as she threw her hands up in the air in an exasperated fashion.

"We always have to do what you want. Like go to this concert, I didn't want to go when you got the tickets and I don't want to go now! But because "Diva Mercedes" demanded to go here we are" as he turned in a little circle with his arms out, like he was presenting the city to a tourist.

"Oh so you think I _LIKE_ accompanying you to all of you sports crap?" Mercedes shouted. "Standing next to groupies, and hoes waiting for you to come out of the locker room? You think I like making small talk with the mindless, shallow girlfriends and wives of your team mates, who only care about what shoes are coming out, and what bag their man is going to buy them? You think I enjoy being second fiddle to your career? NO! I don't but I did it with a damn smile on my face!" Mercedes shouted making sure Shane knew he wasn't the only one with complaints.

"Well you didn't say a word when I was buying out the store for you!" Shane shot back

"I _NEVER_ asked you to buy me anything. You used it as a substitute for a real thing called quality time" Mercedes shot back. "Plus we _both_ know I don't _need _your money!"

"Well I guess I wanted you to finally feel good about yourself!" Shane sighed as he began to walk away from Mercedes.

"What the hell does _THAT _mean?" Mercedes yelled at his back.

"It mean's that you are so damn insecure it's stifling! You want to know why you don't like standing around those groupies, and the other wives. It because your steady feeling so damn sorry for yourself and insecure. You put on this front like "Oh look at me, I'm big, bad, Mercedes Jones; Diva of all divas." But in reality you're so insecure it's insane. It makes you so hard to love." Shane smirked, as he turned around to face her.

Mercedes stopped in her tracks, her mouth gapped open. She was in shock that Shane had gone there, to bring up her insecurities. She closed her mouth, and narrowed her eyes. "Typical" she shot back as she headed to the doors.

"What? That I was honest with you" Shane shouted to her back.

"No" she shot as she spun around to face him. "That you're leaving. You're all just alike! Just go Shane" she shook her head as she walked away. She was determined to see her concert and Shane was not going to stop her from doing that.


	3. Chapter 3: Rom Coms Suck!

**Hi. Thanks for all of the reviews! I really love reading them. Also thanks for following and favoriting and all that jazz! Good to know people are interested. Also, if you never saw the movie, its all good. You don't have to view it to follow along since I plan on making some detours in the story anyway. **

**So here is another update. I'll try to keep em coming.**

**Still Don't own Glee, or Friends with Benefits.**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review... :0***

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><p><em><strong>Rom Coms suck!<strong>_

**Mid May, Memphis TN:**

"Now are you _sure_ you're going to be okay?" Sam questioned, as his eyebrows rose into his choppy bangs.

"Yes!" Mary Evans huffed as she ushered her eldest son towards the door.

"Because you know I don't have to go?" Sam warned.

"Sam, we will be fine" his mother sighed, smiling lightly.

"Okay. Now dad's appointment is to day at-"

"Two, I know Samuel"

"Okay" he smiled as he hugged his mother. "Tell Steven and Stacy, when they get back from school, that I'll bring them back a souvenir" he promised as he looked into his mother's eyes.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you to the airport?" Mary questioned as she nervously wrung her hands together.

"No. I don't want you to have to have to get him up earlier than needed." Sam sighed as he looked past his mother to the bed room area of their ranch style house. "He needs his rest. Plus the taxi will be here soon."

Mary nodded silently, granting her eldest a frail smile. She reached up and fixed his hair, smoothing away a wild strand. "I hope you like it there" she said wistfully.

"I'm just going to see what the opportunities are like out there. I may not even get along with these people. Or I may not get the job I'm interviewing for" Sam sighed, still unsure about leaving his family for the weekend.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll be fine" His mother comforted him, as she lightly rubbed his arm. "You said yourself that, that Finn guy was really excited about you, and he sounded nice"

"Yeah well we'll see" Sam sighed hesitantly. At that moment they heard a horn honking outside. Sam grabbed his two small bags and walked towards the door. He turned quickly and gently kissed his mother on the cheek. "I'll call when I'm there, and to see how the appointment went." Sam cautioned.

Marry nodded as she reached around him and opened the door. Sam stepped outside and off of the family's porch.

"Sam" Mary called out to her son as he walked down their flower lined pathway towards the cab. Sam quickly turned to see what she wanted. "Give it a chance. Promise?" she called out to him.

Sam gave her a large smile as he called out to her "Promise"

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><p><strong>At the Same Time In New York:<strong>

"Oh gosh it was like the worst date ever!" Mercedes sighed as she reached for her iced mocha. "I mean to basically tell me that because you were buying dinner I had to go back to your place? I mean what is that?"

Santana shook her head and chuckled as she took a sip of her iced coffee. The two women linked arms at the made their way out of the Starbucks and onto the busy sidewalk.

"And he still lived with his mama!" Mercedes sighed. "Look I don't mind, I'm not a snob but how do you just expect me to sex you down with your mother asleep in the next room?"

Santana laughed loudly, causing a bit of coffee to leak from her nose. "Girl, please tell me you sent him packing the right way?" she questioned as she dabbed her nose with a napkin.

"I threw a twenty down for my half of dinner and walked out" Mercedes sighed, shaking her head. They strolled past a theater when a poster for a new romantic comedy caught her eye. "Ugh" Mercedes grimaced in disgust. "Those things are utter bull"

"What things" Santana questioned looking around for the new target of Mercedes anger.

"Those movies, that's what" Mercedes said as she pointed to the poster that had gotten her attention.

"Oh you love those movies" Santana said rolling her eyes. "You practically live off of them. It's slightly scary you know?"

"I know but they just make it all look so easy. Like I'm suppose to met Prince Charming in some crazy awkward way, like at a club, but he'll be the one who is like a horrible dancer. While he is waving his hands in the air like he just doesn't care, he'll bump me, spilling my drink. We lock eyes and fall madly in love" Mercedes sighed.

"Or he was you best friend as like kids but was butt ugly then. All of a sudden when you two see each other again he's like 6'2, perfect teeth, great dresser, and has been looking for you since you moved away." Santana sighed with a chuckle.

"Or he's the hot office womanizer, and I constantly turn down his advances until one night he takes me out and finds out "Oh she's amazing" and then poof just like that, I'm the only girl he wants and he has officially stopped his man whoring ways" Mercedes laughed. "I mean really who come up with these stories? None of that crap ever happens in real life"

"Or it does but it happens to a friend, of a friend's cousin" Santana smirked. "Luckily I don't have to deal with any of that"

"Why? Cause you're a lesbian?" Mercedes questioned with a smile nudging her friend with her elbow.

"Well that" Santana laughed "And because I'm out of the dating scene" she bragged.

"Yes" Mercedes nodded with a smile. "And you and Brit are adorable I must say."

"Screw adorable. Adorable is for puppies, babies and phone commercials. Me and my Brits are hot" Santana beamed with pride. "Speaking of her, can you do me a favor?"

Mercedes stopped in her tracks, knowing that this favor would probably end up affecting the rest of her day. "What?" she questioned skeptically, narrowing her eyes at her friend.

"Finn asked me to pick up the guy who is auditioning tomorrow, and I would but, I don't want to" Santana shrugged.

"So why do I have to?" Mercedes pouted. "On my day off too? Oh sorry San your stuck" she huffed as she started to walk.

"Oh come on Wheezy" Santana begged. "Do this for me and I'll owe you one" she smiled widely.

"You already owe me, and it's way more than one" Mercedes sighed. "I don't know what you will do when I start cashing those bad boys in"

"Give you an IOU for it?" Santana said with a shrug and a smile. "Come on please. I want to get back and spend the rest of the morning with Brits before she heads off to work" Santana wined.

Mercedes rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine, what time do I pick him up?"

"3:30" Santana smiled excited to have the morning with her girlfriend.

"And what's his name?" Mercedes questioned as she attempted to put it in her mental rolodex.

"I don't know. Something Evans" Santana huffed.

"Thanks, that helps a lot" Mercedes sighed sarcastically. "What airport?"

"Oh that I know. JFK" Santana smiled. "Thanks 'Cedes" Santana sang as she hugged her tightly around her neck. Even thought she was a bit put out, Mercedes smiled at the happiness she granted her friend. "And you never know. You just may just meet your Prince Charming while your there" Santana joked.

"Yep, but normally if it's at an airport he is leaving the city to see his love from far off who he finds out is cheating. We have a brief steamy encounter, and then we don't see each other again for a year or longer" Mercedes sighed jokingly. "I don't have time to wait for that"

"You really need to push away from the romantic comedies" Santana sighed as she shook her head. "Like really".

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><p><strong>John F. Kennedy Airport later that day: <strong>

Mercedes rushed into the pick area. She knew that she was a bit late, due to the fact that she went home to change into a cute and comfortable pale yellow eyelet sundress that stopped at her knees, and her gold gladiator sandals. Even though she scoffed at Santana, she may have been right; she may run into her Prince Charming at the airport. Plus, she at least wanted to look presentable when she met her possible new band mate. But the fact she didn't even know how the man who she was suppose to pick up looked made her panic slightly that she had missed him.

She walked over towards the cluster of valets, with their signs, to try to get a look at the people coming to pick up their luggage. One of the valets found their intended passenger and, as he walked away with them, Mercedes quickly grabbed his sign. He gave her a bit of a dirty look, but she shot back "You don't need it any more, you got your person, now get on" as she nodded towards the exit. The man shook his head and continued to escort his person to his car. Mercedes quickly grabbed a marker from her purse and scribbled Evans on the back of the paper. She held it up with a bright smile, hopping he would see her.

Sam called his mother right as he got off of the plane, and talked to her as he made his way to the baggage claim. They were still in the doctor's office and he asked that she keep him posted on any new information the doctor gave her. He quickly hung up and looked around. Finn told him what the woman who was suppose to meet him looked like, but as he looked around the area no one seemed to fit his description. He quickly walked towards his carousal when he spotted a sign that said his last name. He smiled and walked over the woman holding it.

"You wouldn't happen to be looking for a Sam Evans would ya?" Sam asked putting on his biggest smile.

"Uh. I think" Mercedes shrugged. "You're staying with Finn?"

"Yep, that's me" Sam smiled as he held out his hand. "I'm Sam… Evans" he joked pointing to her sign.

"Oh okay, hi" she smiled

"And you're Santana?" Sam questioned

"Oh, oh no, I'm sorry. Santana couldn't make it to pick you up so she sent me. I'm Mercedes. Mercedes Jones" she responded taking his large, slightly rough hand.

"Oh so your Mercedes" Sam smiled happy to have some name recognition. "Finn told me all about you guys"

"Well then yeah I'm Mercedes" she sighed. "You have any checked bags?" she questioned.

"Oh yeah" he smiled as he looked down at the carousal. He spotted his bag and with ease yanked it from the pile.

"Let's go" Mercedes smiled as she ushered him out towards the exit. As she walked she handed her make shift sign to another valet stating "Hold this for me." She quickly left with Sam hot on her tail.

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><p><strong>BTW I love Romatic Movies (if this story isn't any indication of that LOL).<strong>


	4. Chapter 4: Making Friends

**Hi. Want to start with a hardy thank-you for the reveiws, follows, and favs. I really appreciate them all.**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review :-)**

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><p><em><strong>Making friends:<strong>_

As Mercedes walked to her Jeep Liberty, she quickly hit the automatic unlock button. Sam reached for the handle of the hatch and quickly placed his bags in the back. He then quickly hopped into the passenger side of the already started truck.

As the two made their way to Finn's apartment, they were covered in an uncomfortable silence. The only sound was the traffic and the radio playing in the background.

Finally Sam decided to break the ice. "Thanks for picking me up. I really appreciate it" he smiled turning his attention from the cars passing by his window to Mercedes.

"Oh your welcome, Sam right?" she questioned to make sure she remembered the name he just told her.

"Right" he smiled.

"Oh, well it was no problem. I just hope you like it here" she smiled. "It's an amazing city"

"Yeah" Sam agreed as the vision of large buildings came into view. "It's much bigger than Memphis" he sighed. "I just hope I can find my way around okay"

"Oh you'll be fine. And if in doubt you'll have us" Mercedes smiled as she referred to she and her fellow band mates.

"Yeah, about that. Tell me about New Directions" Sam asked turning to face her.

"Oh okay. Yeah I guess I should" Mercedes perked up, realizing that they were suppose to be courting him as a potential member. "Well New Directions kind of started when Finn, his step brother Kurt, Santana, Mike, Tina, Artie, Noah and I where in high school. We were like a little garage band, that would play local dances, and things of that nature. When we went off to college, we all kept in touch for the most part. Some how we all ended up living in New York, and we decided to get the band back together, and start our own label in the process. So we all use our degrees and life experiences to help us with our music careers." Mercedes sighed as some of the fond memories of their early start came flooding back to her. "We are a cover band for right now, playing everything from The Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, to Gaga, to Roger and Hammerstein, to Kanye West. But we are finally getting into original song writing and composing, so we can come up with our own sound."

"Oh" Sam sighed. "So what do you mean when you say you guys use your degrees to help with your music?"

"Oh well say for instance me. I majored in PR and advertising in college. I work for a PR firm during the day, you know for income, and use my know how to get us gigs, and flyer and things of that nature. Santana and Noah are our business and accounting experts respectively. Artie majored in film making, directing, and things of that nature, so he's our visual specialist. Mike is an amazing choreographer and owns his own dance school. Tina and Kurt went to design school so they handle costuming and work at separate design houses. Finn majored in web design, so he works as a freelance web designer. Any song up loads or tech things all go to him."

"Wow" Sam said widening his eyes in an impressed manner. "So basically, you guys keep everything in house"

"Yep, for the most part, we try to. We figured if we can do it ourselves, why pay someone else?" Mercedes agreed. "So do you have any additional things you can do? Finn played your YouTube video for some of the guys. They said you're pretty good on guitar and have a great voice."

"Thanks" Sam sighed as he fidgeted in an uncomfortable, sheepish manner. "Well, unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to college. Well a University. I took some Junior College courses. For the most part I focused on music" he said looking down at his hands. "That and my art work"

"Oh you draw?" Mercedes questioned, glancing at him quickly.

"Yeah" Sam sighed. "I mainly do comics, been doing them since I was a kid."

"Well, that's great" Mercedes smiled brightly. "We don't have an official artistic director. You know some one who can come up with original t-shirt designs, album covers, you know, things of that nature"

Sam smiled at the excitement, and interest Mercedes gave to his drawing and the possibility of such an official title. Before he knew it, they were pulling up to a large building.

"Welp, we're here" Mercedes smiled as she turned off her vehicle. She and Sam quickly got out, and Sam grabbed his luggage. Mercedes pushed the buzzer by the name Hudson-Hummel.

"Yeah" the voice over the intercom bellowed.

"Let us up" Mercedes called rolling her eyes.

"Us? Who's with you" the voice questioned.

"Just open the door!" She responded back, irritated by the question.

The door quickly buzzed, and Mercedes jerked it open. She held it open for Sam, allowing him to enter with his baggage. The pair climbed the two flights necessary to get to Finn's apartment. When they arrived, Finn was already waiting with the door open.

"Hey 'Cedes" Finn smiled his boyish grin while wrapping her into an embrace.

"Don't hey me" Mercedes pouted. "You don't know my voice now?"

"Hey, I didn't know you were picking Sam up" he explained. "I told San to do it"

"Well San had other things to do" Mercedes huffed. "Like Brits"

"What did she have to do with Brits?" Finn questioned, as a confused look crossed his face.

Mercedes shot him a disbelieving look while she huffed "think about it"

Finn stood quiet as he thought about what Mercedes just explained. His face lit up like a light when he got it giving an "Ooohhhh."

"Yeah" Mercedes agreed pushing her way past the giant male, into his apartment.

"Well thanks" Finn smiled. "And welcome" he turned to Sam. "It's good to meet you in person" Finn beamed holding out his hand to the blond.

Sam grasped his hand adding "Yeah. It's nice to finally meet you in person too. Although you are a lot taller then I expected"

"I get that a lot." Finn grinned as he moved out of the way for Sam to step inside.

Sam looked around his living quarters for the weekend. It was a two bedroom, one bath apartment, with a decent sized living room, and a breakfast bar that connected it to the small kitchen area. "Nice place" Sam complemented as he looked around.

"Yeah thanks" Finn smiled as he ushered him into the living room area where Mercedes had already made herself comfortable. "I use to share it with my brother Kurt, but he moved in with his boyfriend so now it's just me"

"And Rachel" Mercedes giggled.

"Only when she spends the night" Finn corrected.

"Girlfriend?" Sam questioned, taking a cue from the smile on Mercedes face.

"Yeah" Finn smiled. He quickly grabbed and handed Sam a black and white shot of a bubbly looking brunette wearing a beret, grinning widely.

"She autographed it?" Sam questioned

Mercedes busted out in a loud laughter, at Sam's observation. Finn blushed and quickly grabbed the picture. "Yeah" he admitted sheepishly.

"She insisted" Mercedes giggled. "She signs all her photos. Its "practice"" she added with a snort.

"Well she's cute" Sam smiled holding back a laugh that was creeping in his chest.

"Thanks" Finn said quickly "Let me show you to your room"

After placing his luggage in his temporary bedroom, Sam freshened up in the bathroom, while Mercedes and Finn talked about ND business. He quickly traded in his jeans, t-shirt and chucks, for a pair of slacks, a crisp white shirt, comfortable dress shoes, and a tie. He combed his hair down and brushed his teeth. When he emerged from the bathroom the two old friends stopped and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Wow" Finn said "You look nice, but you don't have to dress up. You're not meeting the gang until tomorrow."

"Oh no" Sam said as he straightened his tie. "I have an interview at a small indie publishing company about possibly coming out with a comic"

"What time is the interview?" Mercedes questioned looking at the time on her watch.

"They agreed to allow me to come in tonight at six, since I was traveling and all" Sam sighed as a bit of jet lag hit him. He grabbed the information he printed out, and showed them the address.

"Oh, I would drive you, but in this traffic you wouldn't make it one time" Finn cautioned.

"He can take the train" Mercedes sighed. She was amazed with all of the years he'd lived in the city Finn rarely took the subway. "I'll escort him."

"Really? Thanks a lot" Sam smiled, as he grabbed his portfolio of work.

"No problem" she sighed as she lifted herself off of the couch. "See ya tomorrow Finny" she smiled as she playfully ruffled the large mans hair.

She headed out with Sam hot on her heels again. They headed to the nearest subway station, and headed down below. As they rode the train, the two chatted lightly about the transit system in New York and the fact it would take Sam about a week to learn it. Sam had to admit, he was secretly intimidated with the possibility of living in such a large city. When they reached his stop, they hopped off and walked towards the address, Mercedes leading the charge.

They stopped outside of a large office building, checking the paper to make sure they were at the right address.

"Okay this is it" Mercedes sighed. "I'll wait for you in the lobby so you can find your way back to Finn's" she smiled straitening his tie.

"Thanks so much" Sam said grateful that she had taken an interest in his ability to navigate the city.

"Sam, really it's not a problem. Now go get them" she said as she gently patted him on his shoulder. Sam smiled at her, and nodded, as he walked over to the building elevators.

The interview lasted two hours. They questioned him about everything from his education, formal training, and hobbies. Sam was mentally exhausted afterwards. When he stepped off of the elevator and walked to the lobby he found Mercedes, deeply entranced in a game of Words with Friends.

"Hey" Sam said sleepily as he trudged over to the chair next to the one Mercedes was occupying.

"Hey" she looked up with a smile. "How'd it go?"

Sam shrugged, unsure of the answer. "I honestly don't know. It seemed like they liked me, but the fact that I don't have a degree well…" he trailed off with a sigh.

"Come on Memphis" Mercedes smiled in a comforting manner "Let's get you back to Finn's so you can finally relax."

On the train ride back the two talked about the interview, with Mercedes analyzing everything that was said as she lazily flipped through his portfolio. She even had to admit what he lacked in formal education and training, he more than made up for in talent and creativity. As they walked back to Finn's she was sure that he had gotten the job. Sam, on the other hand had more doubt.

"Trust me, your fine" Mercedes sighed as she walked to her truck.

"I guess" Sam shrugged with his head down. "They said they'd call so we'll see"

"Look don't stress about it." she smiled in a comforting manner, which made Sam almost believe her. "Well look, I'm headed home. I'm going to order takeout, sit in front of my TV and enjoy the rest of my day off" she joked as she climbed into her truck. She turned on its engine and rolled down the passenger side window.

"Oh wow, today was your day off?" Sam questioned feeling like a huge burden. "I'm so sorry that my-"

"Look Evens, its fine" she cut him off. "You just worry about your audition tomorrow" she warned pointing her finger at him. "Cause I'm nice, but the other guys can get a little brutal"

Sam smiled. "Will do. It was great meeting and hanging out with you today"

"You too. See ya tomorrow" Mercedes called out over the engine. With that she pulled off while Sam rang the bell to be buzzed in.


	5. Chapter 5:The Music Man

**Hi! Thanks so, so, much for the reviews! I'm glad to hear you guys are excited for this story, and are enjoying what's up so far. (Warms my heart I tell ya!) And also thank you to the readers who are following my writing and this story through follows and favs! (All of you guys rock!)**

**So here's another chapter. Hope everyone has a safe, healthy, and happy New Years! Rock out if you can, I can't this year :0(**

**So as always Read, Enjoy, and if you can Review!**

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><p><em><strong>The Music Man:<strong>_

"So how bad is this going to be?" Sam questioned as he and Finn rode an old service elevator to the groups practice/recording area.

"Not bad at all" Finn reassured him with a large smile. "They've already seen what you can do, from YouTube. Now they just want to meet you in person so they can get a feel for you."

Although he was a normally confident person, Mercedes words about the rest of the group being brutal stuck with him, making Sam a bit nervous. He took a few deep breaths as the elevator came to a stop, and Finn pulled the large wooden doors apart. "Just be yourself" Finn smiled as he stepped into a large hallway. "Oh and don't mind Santana and Puck. They come off hard but you'll get use to them."

Sam nodded as he followed Finn down the hall to a closed door. Behind it he could hear a group of people laughed, and conversing loudly. Finn pulled out a key and unlocked it to reveal a small studio space, brimming with state of the art equipment and a large window pane that revealed a large well padded rehearsal and recording area filled with a large drum kit, two guitars, small piano, and about six microphone stands. In the studio area where chairs and two couch filled with people.

"Hey guys" Finn smiled.

"Well if it isn't the abdominal snow man, from that Christmas movie with the little gay elf." Sam knew instantly that she had to be Santana. "You're late."

"Sorry guys" Finn apologized, with a sheepish grin. "But I brought some new talent" Finn turned and allowing Sam to step farther into the room. "Guys this is Sam Evans"

Sam gave a wide grin and a wave. The room smiled warmly back at him, but fell silent, with all of their eyes affixed on him. Sam's mouth went dry, as he scanned all of their faces until he saw one he recognized. He smiled warmly at Mercedes, who gave him a slight head nod.

"Wow" Santana said breaking the silence "Has anyone every told you how freakishly large your mouth is?"

That garnered snickers from everyone in the room. Sam just smiled, being use to people busting his chops. "Yeah, but my ears were covered by her thighs" he shot back in a cool manner. The room erupted with laughter from his unexpected come back. Well, everyone except for Finn, who had a confused look on his face.

"Wait, why were your ears covered?" Finn questioned. The rest of the room rolled their eyes while Mercedes sighed "Think about it ". Finn put on his thinking cap but it never really got to him so the rest of the room just moved on.

"Nice" Puck said giving Sam a high five. "I'm Noah, but everyone calls me Puck. The comedian over there is San" he said pointed over to the Latina. Sam nodded as she gave him a weak wave and a smirk. "The gorgeous chocolate goddess next to her is Mercedes."

"Too late Noah, we met yesterday" Mercedes shot at him. "Hey Sam" she waved at him warmly.

"Mercedes" he smiled back

"Well excuse me Mama, just showing home training" Noah joked, putting his hands up in defense. "Moving on, the dude with the glasses and hardware is Artie"

"Hey man, cool God of War shirt" Artie smiled, as he admired the grey and red t-shirt Sam wore under his red, open flannel shirt.

"Thank" Sam smiled, instantly knowing he had a fellow gamer in his presents.

"The adorable, almost cavity causing Asian duo, is Mike, and Tina" Noah continued.

"Hi" they said in unison.

"They basically share a brain" Noah said under his breath. Tina quickly took one of the cushions and hurled it at Puck, hitting him square in the face. This caused the room to erupt with laughter. "Can't handle the truth huh?" Noah sighed. "And the pale but well dressed wonder here is Kurt"

"Hello" Kurt said politely standing and shaking Sam's hand.

"Hey" Sam smiled as he shook his hand.

"Okay" Finn cut in "enough with the introductions, Sam why don't you go in the studio, get a guitar on, and show everyone what you can do?"

"Okay" Sam smiled as he made his way across the room the door that led into the larger rehearsal area. He grabbed one the guitars off its stand, and quickly tuned it to his liking. When he was ready, he performed his rehearsed piece which was Gravity by John Mayer, one of his favorite songs. He closed his eyes and sang with everything he had in him, and when he was finished and opened his eyes, he could see dropped jaws in the studio area through the glass. Finn was wearing a large grin, and after Sam put down the guitar and step back through the door, he caught him gloating "I told you so!"

"That was great" Tina beamed as Sam stepped farther into the room.

"Yeah" Artie smiled "That was a great performance"

"Thanks a lot" Sam smiled.

"Sam" Kurt called, getting up from his seat, walking over to the blond, and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Can you be a dear and wait outside for a moment. We have some things to discuss"

"Uh, sure" Sam sighed. "No problem" He crossed the room and stepped back out of the door into the long hallway. He walked towards the elevator and perched himself on the wall. He was waiting for almost twenty minutes when the elevator rumbled. When the doors where pushed open a beautiful, green eyed blonde appeared.

"Hi" Sam said wide eyed.

"Hi" she said back, her face wearing a confused expression.

At that moment the door down the hall finally opened. Finn popped his head out and smiled. "Hey, Sam we need you. Hey Quinn!"

"Hey" the blonde smiled as she walked towards Finn. Sam followed behind her, nervous about his fate. As he stepped in he saw Quinn walk straight over to Noah, planting a sweet kiss on his lips as she sunk into his lap. "Welp I know who she's here for" Sam thought.

"Well, we talked" Kurt smiled. "And we decided that we simply can't…" he trailed off.

Sam's heart sunk. Although he was around everyone for only a few minutes, the vibe he got from the group a warm and easy one. He felt like he would easily become friends with them. He lowered his head and waited for the other shoe to drop.

"Oh, stop playing with the boy" Mercedes sighed. "Sam, you're in"

"I am?" Sam smiled his faced lighting up.

"Yes" Kurt said "Although Mercedes stole my thunder" he said glaring at his friend. She, in return, stuck her tongue out at him. "We would love it if you joined us"

"Thanks" as he shook hands with Finn and Kurt.

"Plus, with that large cavern you call a mouth we would always have a place to practice" Santana sighed as she stared at his mouth. "Or escape the elements; it would be useful to have you around. I bet the acoustics in that thing are amazing"

"Thanks Santana" Sam shook his head.

"Let's go and celebrate" Mercedes jumped up clapping her hands.

"I could go for a drink" Tina smiled, linking arms with Mercedes.

"Which bar" Artie questioned.

"I don't know, it doesn't matter. One with alcohol" Mercedes joked.

"Well, I want to invite Sugar to meet us" Artie called out, pulling out his cell phone.

"Well, if that twit is coming, I'm calling Brits" Santana protested.

"Guys, we'll figure it out when we get there" Kurt sighed "Then we'll call everyone"

The group piled out of the studio, and walked a few blocks to a row of bars, settling on the one that had the most amount of seating. They pushed three tables together as they began to order rounds. Sam sat next to Mercedes, the one person who he felt most comfortable around. While everyone was engaged in their own conversations, Sam took it as a time to ask her to break down the group dynamic for him.

"Okay Mercedes, who's with whom?" Sam whispered into her ear.

Mercedes chuckled at his question knowing that the answer was going to be a long one. "Okay" Mercedes began "Tina and Mike have been together since high school. They are our sweetheart couple. Even though he was joking, Noah was right, they do share a brain, or a soul, or whatever. Now Noah, Finn and I all went to college together. That's where Finn met Rachel, who is on her way by the way, so you'll meet her soon, and Noah met Quinn. They are both actors, Rachel, musicals while Quinn does more "heady" serious, dramatic, stuff. Both are working off Broadway right now. Artie's new squeeze de jour is Sugar. She's a sweet girl but not wrapped too tight. And Santana's main squeeze is Brittany. She is a dancer and is also a little, to put it nicely, different, but she has moment of clarity when you swear she is the damn Dalai Lama. And finally Kurt, who is Finn's step brother, is with Blaine Anderson, the new hot thing on Broadway. They have been together since Kurt first got to New York to go to design school. He is the lead right now in How to Succeed in Business. He is the cat's meow here." Mercedes smiled with a sigh, hopping that he got it all, because it was just too much to repeat.

"Oh" Sam said as he let the information swirl around for a moment. "So Mikes with Tina, Quinn's with Puck, Finn has Rachel, Kurt is with Blaine is it?" Sam asked to make sure he remembered. Mercedes nodded with a smile. "Santana is with Brittney, And Artie is seeing a girl named Sugar?"

"Yep, you got it" Mercedes smiled.

"So what about you?" Sam questioned taking a sip of his beer.

"What about me?" Mercedes questioned back furrowing her eyebrows.

"Well, no boyfriend? Girlfriend?" he asked in an attempt to be politically correct.

"Nope, no boyfriend" she sighed, leaning back into her chair. Her face darkened a bit, and Sam decided to quickly get off of the subject.

The evening turned to night as their party grew to accommodate everyone and their significant other. Their light beers turned into shots, and hard mixed drinks, and Sam learned one thing about this group, they liked to drink. Suddenly, Sam heard his phone ring. He quickly got up, to take his phone call outside, excusing himself from the table.

"Okay what's with you and the new guy?" Santana questioned as soon as Sam was gone.

"What do you mean?" Mercedes shot back

"You two keep whispering to each other" Quinn added.

"Yeah, like you guys are all buddy buddy already" Noah commented leaning forward. "What is with that?"

"Look had to spend all day with him yesterday when somebody" Mercedes glared at Santana "wanted to drop their responsibilities off to me. So we just became cool that's all"

"Oh" Santana shrugged. "Did I thank you again for doing that?"

"No, but you will when you buy me my second drink" Mercedes smiled. "I'm cashing in an IOU" Santana rolled her eyes as she got up to order Mercedes her drink, grumbling in Spanish under her breath. "Thanks honey" Mercedes called to her back.

"Well I think he's cute" Brittney smiled. "Like a puppy painted in rainbows and chocolate."

"He is cute" Tina agreed "Not as cute as my Mike" she quickly added when she looked at Mike's angry face, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"I guess if you like that type" Quinn shrugged, as she leaned into Noah, gently nuzzling his neck.

"Yeah she likes her men Jewish, and bad ass" Puck smiled as he kissed her forehead.

Sam quickly came back to the table wearing a large grin. "That was the publishers" he beamed as he sat down next to Mercedes. "I got the job!"

"See" Mercedes smiled as she gave him a quick hug "I told you so!"

"Yeah, you did" he agreed. "Now I just have to find a place to live"

"Well hey you can live with me" Finn smiled. "I have that free room"

"And since we aren't married yet, it won't be a nursery for a while now. Well, not until I get my first Tony Nomination" Rachel added with a smile. Finn chocked on his beer at her statement while the rest of the table laughed at his reaction.

"Are you sure?" Sam quizzed the still chocking Finn. "I don't want to impose"

"You won't" Finn reassured, wanting him to move in now more than ever after hearing Rachel's plans for the room.

"Thanks man" Sam smiled as he reached over and shook hands with Finn.

After another round of drinks, the conversation turned to Sam. Everyone was wondering, but no one had the guts to ask. That was until Santana blurted out: "So double wide, and I'm talking about the size of your mouth, not the mobility of your home, are you dating anyone back at home?"

The table got quite for the first time that night, as everyone's attention turned to him as they waited for his answer.

"No" Sam replied, wondering why everyone stopped talking.

"Oh goodie" Kurt beamed "Because Blaine and I can take you out and introduce you to some great guys. You will set this town on fire with your surfer look, and southern accent"

"Uh, thanks" Sam hesitated "but I'm straight"

"Really?" Kurt and Blaine asked in unison.

"Really" Sam said nodding his head in the affirmative with raised eyebrows.

"Oh" Kurt blushed. "Our mistake. I can't help you there" he waved his hand.

At that moment Finn walked down the table stopping at Mercedes. He stooped down to whisper in her ear. "Hey can you do me a favor? Can you drive Sam to the airport tomorrow for me?"

Mercedes sighed wondering when she became the group's limo service. "Why can't you do it?" she whispered back.

"Well Rachel wants me to spend the night and…"

"Okay fine" she huffed subliminally asking him to spare her the details.

"Thanks so much. His luggage is in my car so he can stay at your place tonight so you don't have to drive all the way to my place to pick him up" Finn smiled.

Mercedes tossed him her keys while saying "Move his things"

Finn rushed out of the door, to go transport Sam's bags to her truck.

"So Sam" Mercedes sighed when Finn got back, returning her keys "Looks like your bunking at my place tonight, and I'll drive you to the airport in the morning."

"That's cool" Sam shrugged, feeling good from his third beer "I appreciate it". At that moment he looked up towards the door and his eyes widened. "Whoa" he gasped "Isn't that Shane Tinsley of the New York Jets?"

The whole table turned its head to see Shane walking in with some girl who looked fresh off of a rap video shoot. She was equipped with large fake breast, fake butt, a dress three sizes too small, and tall seven inch FMPs. And Shane smiled at her like a cat that caught a canary.

Mercedes eye widened as she quickly sunk down into her seat to avoid being seen. "Oh Shit!" she whispered as she placed a napkin over her face.

"Ugh" Santana hissed. "I never liked him! Old bread stick snatching, mumbling jerk! He's an ass"

"Mercedes, are you okay?" Quinn questioned as she looked over the table to look at her slumped friend.

"I got to get out of here!" she whispered. "Like right now! Sam, get your things. We're leaving." And with that Mercedes slid out of her seat and tip toed out the restaurant, using Sam for cover.

When they were outside, Mercedes walk briskly for a block to ensure Shane didn't see her. When she got what she felt was a comfortable distance she slowed down and breathed. She and Sam walked in silence in the cool night air for a few paces when he finally asked "So are you going to tell me what that was about?"

"Oh that?" Mercedes answered as she pointed her thumb behind to the direction they just came from. "That was me avoiding my ex"

"You dated Shane Tinsley?" Sam said with wide eyes. "He is one of the best line men in the NFL. He's like an all star."

"Shane Tinsley's a dick!" Mercedes shot back.

"Break up was that bad huh?" Sam questioned with a smile

"Try he ruined what was suppose to be a great night" Mercedes looked up into Sam's green eyes in disgust.

"Wow" Sam smiled "Yep that bad"

"Lets not talk about him" Mercedes sighed, as she walked up to her truck and unlocked it for them to hop in it. The two drove to her apartment as they talked about how excited Sam was about his two new positions. When they finally got to her apartment, Sam pulled out only one of his bags, out of her truck, and followed her into her building. This time they had to go up three flights of stairs to make it to her place.

When she finally unlocked the three locks on her door, and opened it, he understood the reason for the security measures. Her apartment was cozy, but full of high-tech toys such as a large flat screen and an X-Box, and expensive furniture. She had an exposed brick wall that held up a large white book case. In the center of her den was a pale purple couch with expensive looking silver and white decretive pillows surrounded by antique sitting chairs on both sides of it, with furry shag like white rug covering her hard wood floors. Her whole left wall was a built in bar, with built in lights. The kitchen area was small, and it over looked a small balcony area that contained a small but beautiful garden, which was ready available through double French doors.

"Make your self at home. She sighed as she threw her keys on her side table.

"Nice place"

"Oh, thanks" she shrugged as she walked to linen closet and pulled out two extra pillows and two blankets. "Here you are Memphis" she smiled weakly as she handed him his bedding for the night. "Bathrooms down the hall" she pointed "And here is the remote" she said handing him the device to her television. "I'm headed to bed, but just holler if you need anything"

"I will, and thanks again Mercedes" Sam said with a soft smile.

"No problem" she yawned "see ya in the morning"

"See ya" Sam called as he prepared to settle in for the night.

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><p><strong>BTW: The song he auditioned with Gravity is by John Mayer and will be linked in my bio (Don't like him too much but his music is great)<strong>

**and FMPs= Fuck me pumps. The late and GREAT Amy Winehouse had a song about them and girls like CoCo (Youtube it if you've never taken a listen)**


	6. Chapter 6: The No Love Club

**Hi. Loved all of the reviews (Read them all) and its good to know I'm not the only romatic comedy movie lover (forgot to metion that in the previous chapter). And I love hearing your views on the direction of the story. And as always thanks to the people who follow and faved. **

**So here is another update. **

**Oh and because I haven't said it for a few chapters: I don't own Glee, the movie Friends with Benefits, or any of the characters. Just the words...**

**So as always Read, Enjoy, and Review!**

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><p><em><strong>The No Love Club<strong>_:

The smell of fresh bacon and the sound of pots and pans being thrown around woke Sam up that next morning. He opened his eyes slowly, taking in his surroundings. For a moment, he couldn't remember where he was until he looked into the kitchen, and saw Mercedes outline. He sat up slowly, remembering that he had crashed on her couch for the night. He grabbed his cell phone to find that it was 7:00 am. He stretched while yawning, as he stood up from her couch. He ruffled his hair, and tugged on his white sleep tee as he quietly padded into the kitchen.

"Morning Sleepy Head" Mercedes smiled as she sat a breakfast plate down on the table. "I made you some eggs, turkey bacon, and toast"

Sam smiled as he sat down at the small dinette set for three. "Thanks" he grumbled, still slightly groggy from his nights rest.

"How'd you sleep?" Mercedes sang as she took a screeching kettle from her gas stove. She reached into one of her glass covered cabinets, grabbing an over sized mug. She placed a bag of tea inside and doused it with steaming hot water.

"Okay I guess" Sam sighed as he took a bite of his toast.

"Well that's good" she smiled as she took a seat across from him, with her tea, half of a grapefruit, and toast.

"Thanks for breakfast" he smiled as he shoveled a fork full of eggs into his mouth.

"Well, I can't send you home hungry" she smiled, thinking she sounded just like her granny. At that moment, Mercedes' cell phone, which was sitting in the middle of the table, began to ring. She read the name, "Dick" in her head, as it flashed on her phone under a picture of a smiling Shane.

"I can't believe he is calling me" she grumbled, as she rolled her eyes.

"You going to answer it?" Sam questioned leaning over the table eyeing the noisy device.

"Hell no!" Mercedes shot. "I have nothing to say to him. Let it go to voice mail." And with that she reached over to the phone, silencing it.

A moment later, her voice mail indicator went off. She hit a few buttons, to check it.

"I'm intrigued by what he has to say if the break up was that bad" Sam admitted.

Mercedes shrugged and put it on speaker.

"_Hey Mercedes, this is Shane. I saw you avoid me last night, and I was kind of hurt_." A deep voice rumbled from the phone. Mercedes huffed and rolled her eyes wondering what he could possibly be hurt about when she was the victim. "_I was hoping we could get to a place where we could at least be, you know, friends_"

"I have enough friends" she yelled to the recorded voice on the phone.

"_Anyway, I guess you saw me too last night, with my girl CoCo_."

"One of the groupie hoes who would be sniffing around the locker room when I was waiting for him" Mercedes sighed as the creeping question of just how long where he and CoCo together.

"_And I see you've moved on too. Got you a surfer dude now huh?_"

"Is he talking about me?" Sam questioned almost choking on his bacon. Mercedes mouthed the words "Sorry" apologizing for Shane's assumption.

"_I saw you leave the restaurant with him last night. Hope he didn't keep you up late_" Shane said with a chuckle. Mercedes rolled her eyes wondering how anything she did was any of his business any more. "_And I saw your crew. Your girl kept shooting me and my girl dirty looks all night, and when they left she yelled at me in Spanish. I couldn't understand what she said but it better not be no curse voo doo shit!_" at that point the voice mail cut off, repeating the day and time of the message. Mercedes quickly erased it, and set her phone back down on the table.

Mercedes laughed knowing it was Santana. "I wonder what she said to him." Sam sighed.

"Something nasty I know" Mercedes sighed as she shook her head. "She never liked him, even when we were happy together"

"Why, what'd he do?"

"Okay, one thing you have to know about San is that she loves bread sticks. And it is an unwritten rule, that when there is only one left on the table, it's hers, no questions asked." Mercedes explained.

"Really? So what happens if someone else takes it?"

"Well Sugar tried it, and almost got a fork in her hand" Mercedes shrugged. "Shane was too big for her to fight, so she just held a constant grudge against him over it"

"Wow, all over a bread stick? Well that's good to know" Sam contemplated with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I guess you have to learn these things if your going to be here huh?" Mercedes observed as she cocked her head to the side.

"Yeah, but I'm kinda having second thoughts" Sam sighed "I mean I love it here, and I'm excited, but I'm not in a rush to leave my family"

"Why?"

"Just… I'm use to being around for them, that's all" Sam sighed, as he looked down as his plate.

"Well, I say go for it" Mercedes shrugged as she sipped her tea and leaned back into her chair. "You have a job here, a place to stay, and friends now. You're starting off great. A lot of people would kill to start here like that. Plus the dating pool is much larger" she sang in a sing songy voice.

"Oh, I'm not too worried about dating. Apparently, I'm a robot who will never learn how to love" Sam smirked

"Well, you're in luck then" Mercedes smiled sarcastically "Because apparently I'm Ms. Unlovable. You should come to the meetings. They serve the good cookies, and punch."

"Wow, Shane told you that?" Sam questioned "Brutal"

"Yep, among other things" Mercedes sighed. "I'm so screwed up apparently, that love is instantly repelled from me"

"Well, I guess it comes running my way and according to Olive, my ex, I gun it down an as its taking its last dying breath, kick it in the face. She basically told me that I will never find it in my heart to love some one"

"Wow, what did you do to her?" Mercedes wondered out loud.

"Well, I will admit it was my fault. She told me one morning, after I woke up to her watching me sleep with a huge grin on her face-"

"Kinda creepy" Mercedes huffed under her breath

"I know right" Sam agreed "Anyway, I woke up and she just blurted out "I love you". I wasn't ready emotionally or mentally at that moment so I said to her "Thank-you. And would you like a breakfast burrito?""

Mercedes eyes widened as a laugh broke from her mouth. "Oh my goodness! You said that to her?"

Sam looked down embarrassed, but still smiling "Hey, I said I wasn't expecting it. I panicked!"

"But you offered her a breakfast burrito?" Mercedes questioned still laughing loudly. "That's classic"

"So, it was as bad as she said huh?" Sam sighed.

"Yes, yes it was" Mercedes giggled. "But its okay I understand" she said in a soothing voice as she rubbed his forearm. "At least you weren't dumped standing out side of a concert you have been waiting months for, with an extra ticket" she grumbled.

"Wow he did it on a date too?"

"Yep, cause he's that damn charming" Mercedes said with a sigh.

"Well Olive left me in front of the movies" Sam smiled. "So I can relate."

"Okay enough about ex's and sob stories" she quick stood up "Let me get dress so you can catch your flight"

The pair got dressed, and headed back to the airport. Mercedes parked at the passage drop-off area, and got out of the truck, while Sam grabbed his luggage. "Well Ms. Jones" he smiled down at her "Thanks for being my New York guardian angle this weekend"

"Hey, it wasn't a problem" Mercedes waived him off. "You're pretty cool Memphis" she said with a grin. "And, by the way, you can call me 'Cede, all of my friends do" she smiled at him sweetly. She held out her hand for a handshake, but he pulled her into a quick hug.

"Really think about moving here" she pleaded as he let her go. "I think it will be really good for you"

"Thanks, I will" he sighed. With that he grabbed his bags and gave her a hardy waive good-bye, as he headed to the check in counter. Mercedes climbed into her truck and drove off, as she reminded herself to call Santana to find out what she yelled at Shane.

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><p><strong>Don't you just love a good morning wake up call from an Ex? LOL :-P I personally avoid them (when I've gotten them) at all cost but that's just me. <strong>


	7. Chapter 7: Montage of two weeks

**Hi. Thanks so much for all of the follow and favs alerts! You guys are GREAT!**

**And I would really like to thank the reviewers. I love reading them! And I swear you guys make my day and keep me giggling (Like really I do when I read some of them). Two in particular this time around I had to address. **

**(1) Moonlight015 will you and guy with the Red Hat please stand and bow. Not only did you manage to crack me up (cause ya did) but you saw exactly what I was doing by naming his new boo CoCo (for some reason that line just chapped my behind).**

**and**

**(2)TREATs-LOVES-FiiON I have to change what I said at the end of the chapter. After some thought there are 2 ex's I will take an early morning call from. My first love (we're still friends oddly enough) and my most resent ex (same deal). Other than that PLEASE see her answer (which made me giggle honestly) for the rest of them because they would get the exact same treatment (if I pick up at all)**

**Okay enough of me rambling. Here's an update. Its super short (sorry) but it gets us ready for what comes next (YES, BENEFITS I promise lol). **

**So as always: Read, Enjoy, and Review :0)**

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><p><em><strong>Montage of two weeks:<strong>_

__**Memphis TN:**

The next two weeks were a blur for Sam.

When he got home his younger siblings bombarded him with questions about New York. He answered them honestly, for about twenty minutes before he asked them if he could talk to his mother alone. When they were sure they were the only ears in the room they headed into the kitchen to talk at the family table.

"So how'd it go?" She asked with worried tired eyes.

"They loved me. I'm in" Sam shrugged. "And I got the comic job"

Mary's eyes lit up as she stood up to embrace Sam pulling him into her chest. "I knew it" she sighed into his hair.

"I might not take it" he said into her shoulder.

Mary froze. She pulled his head away from her body to look into his eyes. "Why not?" she quizzed, searching his face for the answer.

"Because he needs me" Sam stated looking into his mother's hazel eyes. "You need me"

"And you need to get out and grow" Mary sighed as she slid back down to her seat, grabbing Sam's hand. "You have to do this"

"Why? I'm needed here"

"You have to do this for yourself. So you can have a life" Mary whimpered, as tears filled her eyes. "You deserve this opportunity, and you're going to take it"

"Mom I-"

"No! Your going" Mary said sternly as she stood from the table. "I don't want to but if it means kicking you out, then that's what needs to be done"

Sam looked at her confused. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Sammy, to get you to get out, and follow your dreams, then yes, I'm very serious" Mary shot back as she glanced at him over her shoulder. "Ever since you were born I promised I would always do my best to give you what you need Samuel" she sighed as she looked out of their kitchen window into their wooded back yard. She turned around to face him and look him dead in his large green eyes. "You need this"

"Then I'll pack" he said in a solemn voice as he stood from his chair. As he headed for the kitchen door, he felt her rush to him and embrace him from behind. Her tired arms stretching around him. He grasped them, squeezing them with love.

"I'm doing this because I love you, you know that right?" Mary questioned in a weak and tear soaked voice.

Sam took a deep breath. He grabbed her hands, and squeezed them back. "I know" he exhaled.

Mary released her son, and watched as he headed to his room to begin packing his things.

He spent the next week packing his room. He boxed up all of his important belongings, and shipped them to Finn's. He also took the time to order a few furniture necessities for his room, including a foldable drafting table. He left his comic collection in the care of Steven. He knew he loved them as much as he did, and they would be in excellent hands. He left some of his open action figures to Stacy, figuring her Barbie could use a GI Joe to marry. The unopened ones, he requested, stay in his room, in their boxes. Both of his siblings agreed. By the end of the week, all that was left was to take his clothing and some of his shoes.

The good byes, at the end of the week were one of the hardest things Sam had to do. He gently ruffled Steven's hair, and told him to be good. He also asked that he keep him honestly informed about how everyone in the house was, when he felt his mother would sugar coat the issues or flat out neglect to tell him the full truth. He kissed Stacy on her head and simply asked her to not get a boyfriend yet because he couldn't take her growing up so fast without him there. She giggled at her eldest brother, but he was very serious. His father, he looked at with tears in his eyes and simply told him he loved him with a tight embrace. His mother, he hugged for dear live, and whispered, "I promise to be home for the 4th. Just keep me updated." Mary promised, as she pushed him away before she broke down into a sob. "Take care of your self Sammy" she whimpered. And with that, Sam climbed into the waiting cab, and headed to the airport.

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><p><strong>New York:<strong>

When Sam arrived in New York, Kurt and Finn were there to greet him at the airport. He slightly expected his welcome wagon to include Mercedes, but he figured she was busy. And he was correct.

When Finn opened the apartment door, and Sam walked in, he was given the shock of his life.

"SURPISE!" the room erupted as all of his band members, and their significant others, jumped out to greet him. A banner hung over his bed room door which read "Welcome Home". He was truly at a lost for words.

"Wow" he smiled widely. "Thanks guys. This is amazing" he sighed.

"Well it was mine and Mercedes idea" Kurt smiled. "We felt you needed a warm welcome"

Sam glanced across the room to Mercedes with a large smile. "Thanks"

"Hey, your one of us now" Mercedes smiled.

That night they had an "unpacking" party. They played Finn's Playstation karaoke games, drinking games, and danced around the apartment. They actually ended up drinking a lot due to one drinking game that Rachel wasn't in on but she was the subject matter of. Whenever she started a sentence with "When I'm on Broadway" or "When Finn and I are finally married…" everyone had to take a drink. Needless to say, everyone got tipsy quickly. Sam ended up passing out in his new room by the end of the night.

When he woke up the next morning, the apartment was empty, but some remnants of the previous night still lingered, including two large packs of red solo cups. Sam grabbed one and filled it with water. He stumbled in to the bathroom to see if he could score a pair of Aspirin before he really started unpacking his things. He opened the medicine cabinet and popped open the bottle. He quickly popped the medicine in his mouth, and washed it down with the whole cup of water. When he placed the bottle back and closed the mirror, he noticed something was written on his face, by his mouth. He turned his head, to find that during his drunken slumber, someone had drawn a large fish hook on his cheek. He sighed and rested he head against the mirror. He silently vowed that when his head stopped hurting he would find out who was responsible, and make them pay. He then returned to his bed and slept off the rest of his hangover.

Over the second week, Sam unpacked and got situated in his new home and new routine. He also started his new job, which was surprisingly demanding. He was constantly working on new story boards, story ideas, and innovative ways to get their comics out to the masses. He would often spend late nights up at his drafting table, sketching.

When he wasn't hard at work creating the next big comic book series, Sam was rehearsing with ND. They practiced on Thursday nights, Saturday and Sunday, during the late afternoon into the evening. Mercedes pulled some strings and used her PR prowess and got the group a gig over Labor Day weekend in the Hamptons. This was a big event, and they wanted everything to be perfect so they spent most of their rehearsals in preparation for it. The group was constantly working on arrangements, sound, and original song writing. They figured it was the perfect time to introduce some of their own music.

Sam also had to task of coming up with a cool logo for the label. They all agreed they wanted something that would stand out but nothing too flashy. He also had to work on possible t-shirt designs, and work with Finn, on the group's web page.

All of this never prevented Sam from checking in on his family. Every night, after work, right when he got into his apartment he called to check in. He would talk to his mother first, then to Steven to see if she was telling him the full truth. Finally he would talk to Stacy to make sure she was still his little girl, and a quick word to his father, about his day. This was the best time of the day for him. Although he was happy in New York, he missed his family dearly.

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><p><strong>Like I said it's a shortie BUT there is much more to come...<strong>


	8. Chapter 8: Sex and Basketball

***Snorts* Barbie Que (giggles)**

**Hi! so I promised more to come and the next one would be longer. And I know you guys have wondered how they go from just buddies to sexing. Well, this is how! LOL. I hope you guys like it! Thanks again for all of the Favs, and follows (Thanks so much for sticking with this story! I really mean it! It's a building process). And Thanks for the reviews. I read (and at times re-read) everyone of them! **

**Okay I'm rambling (Or as shanti-noel03 put it blah blah blah *giggles*) So here's the update!**

**As always: Read, Enjoy, and Comment :0)**

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><p><em><strong>Sex and Basketball:<strong>_

**June:**

Sam was almost a full two weeks into his new life and settling in comfortably. He had learned the city's subway system, and began to get closer to his band mates. But, he still remained closest to Mercedes. They had spoken at lest once everyday since he relocated, to either giggle about something, or to point out funny things that happened to them during the course of their day. She quickly became his closest friend and most trusted resource in the city. Whenever he went out for drinks, had a question, or needed a good laugh, her number would be the first he called. Especially on Friday nights, also known as "date night" for the members of ND. This was the time in the week, where the other members would peel off into their respective couples, and go out on individual dates. Sam and Mercedes where the only singles in the group, so when Friday rolled around, they would end up hanging out with each other playing video games, listening to music, attempting to write music, or watching a movie.

So, when Friday came around, it was no surprise Sam found himself on Mercedes couch. The two were drinking a Corona Lites, as they lounged, while watching a movie she picked. Mercedes lounged a pair of dark washed stretch denim jeans with a large oversized sweatshirt with the collar cut off, so that it dangled lopsided, exposing her shoulder. Sam was relaxed in his chucks, a pair of worn in jeans and a Hulk tee.

"So their playing basketball for his heart?" Sam questioned as he watched the couple on the screen duke it out on a makeshift basketball court for love.

"Yep" Mercedes sighed as she took another sip of her beer. It was her third of the evening.

"Wow, that's overly dramatic" Sam thought out loud as he sipped on his fourth.

"Yeah, it really is" Mercedes giggled as she began to feel giddy.

"I swear I don't miss the drama that comes with relationships" Sam sighed. "That or those "where are we going talks" I mean really, most of it is petty"

"Or unnecessary" Mercedes added.

"Yeah, I mean like these two here" Sam observed as he pointed at the television screen "They didn't have to break up, but their pride just totally got in the way"

"I agree" Mercedes nodded. "But it happened. And if it didn't, we wouldn't have them here playing basketball at night, for his heart even though he's engaged to Tyra Banks"

"If it were me" Sam said lazily as he drank more of his beer "I would have dated her in high school. I mean she was hot then"

"No, she had to put on a tight dress and wear her hair down BEFORE he could see she was hot. Don't you know how these things work" Mercedes giggled sarcastically.

"I guess not" Sam chuckled.

The two sat quietly as they watched the guy totally destroy the heroin on the basketball court.

"Double or nothing" Mercedes sighed in unison with the man on the screen as he offered the basketball to the dejected woman he was playing with.

"Wow, you've seen this a lot huh?" Sam said astonished.

"Yeah" she sighed. "One of my favorite movies"

"Oh. I'm more of an action adventure, sci-fi action adventure guy myself"

The couple sat quietly drinking their beers, as the credits began to roll. They had become very comfortable with each other, so the silence was not tinged with any awkward tension.

"You know what I do miss about being in a relationship though?" Mercedes sighed out of the blue as her beers kicked in. Sam gazed up at her from his position on the opposite end of the couch. "Sex"

"I agree" Sam shrugged. "I mean the drama, and all the emotional talks are… draining. But the regular supply of sex is a perk."

"Yeah it's been a minute" she sighed almost to herself.

"How long?" Sam asked sitting up to face her.

"Well technically since February but that was only like one time. But before then, I was in a bit of a drought because Shane was in play off contention and said he couldn't, you know, because like any great fighter he had to abstain from sex to make sure he was in "fighting shape", whatever that is. So mid December was the last "good" time." She sighed.

"Wow. So you guys didn't have sex for almost two months because he said it made him focused for the game?" Sam snickered.

"Yeah… what an idiot" Mercedes thought out loud. "Anyway, forget him, how about you Sam, if you don't mind me asking" Normally, this line of conversation was reserved for Mercedes and her female friends, and Kurt. But the alcohol made her verbally uninhibited and she felt comfortable with Sam to talk freely.

"Oh no, it's cool" Sam shrugged. "Since March, when Olive and I broke up"

"Yeah, that's not too bad. "She said wistfully.

"Well you don't, you know, take care of yourself?" Sam asked, attempting not to sound too vulgar so he didn't offend or embarrass her.

"Yeah but it's different" Mercedes sighed. "Sex is like… a good back scratch. You know when your back really itches. And you can kind of reach it yourself, but it's at a weird angle, and it's a lot more work. I mean yeah, you can get the job done yourself, and your back stops itching, but it's nothing like when someone else is there to really scratch it for you"

"Wow" Sam thought as he took another sip of his beer. "Either you get the best back scratches, or I'm doing it wrong" Mercedes burst out into laughter at his observation. She grabbed one of her decorative pillows and playfully wacked him in the arm with it. He laughed and shrugged. "What?" he questioned as he chuckled "You just described the world's best back scratch… like ever"

"Whatever Sam" she chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "But, I so don't miss relationships. They are just… extra work" she sighed as she slightly turned up her nose. "And I'm just sick of dating. It's like opening a Christmas gift as a kid and getting socks. Just a big disappointment"

"Yeah, I wish sex could be like…" Sam trailed off as he thought about what his next words would be. He snapped loudly when they quickly came to him using the movie they just watched as inspiration "A pick up game of basketball"

"What?" Mercedes questioned as she chuckled a bit.

"Yeah. Where you meet up with a particular person, ever so often. You get together, and for an hour or so you-"

"Knock a ball around, grunting, and get all sweaty?" she asked while laughing.

"Well… yeah!" Sam agreed "Except for the part about the knocking the ball around. That sounds painful" he winced causing Mercedes to laugh loudly. "And when you're done" he continued "you guys shake hands, part ways, no hard feeling, and you go on about your day"

Mercedes sat quietly, contemplating Sam's analogy. "Oddly enough it makes perfect sense" she agreed. "I mean you get all of the sex, with none of the emotional strain or drama"

"No one judging you because you don't fit perfectly what they want you to be" Sam added

"Or telling you what you should or shouldn't be doing. Or expecting anything more from the other person" Mercedes chimed in.

"Just sex"

"Just sex" Mercedes sighed. The two sat in agreed silence as they thought. "Oh well" Mercedes finally spoke after a moment. She stood up from her couch and stretched. "Too bad that doesn't exist. I'm getting another beer, want one?"

"Sure" Sam sighed, disappointed that Mercedes was right. It didn't exist. Every woman he'd personally met expected a relationship to come with sex. He slumped back on to the couch as he though how great it would be though, to find a woman who didn't. Suddenly his face lit up, as the greatest idea he's had in a while came to him. He slowly stood up and made his way to the kitchen, to find Mercedes headed back to her living room area, with two unopened beer bottles in her hands, and a bottle opener.

"Hey" she jumped, startled to find him right in the door way of the kitchen. As he reached out taking one of the beers, she added "I was going to bring it to you"

"Yeah I know" Sam smiled down at her as his eyes traced her outline. He held his bottle as she popped the cap off with the bottle opener, and watched as she repeated the process with her drink, watching closely as her lips wrapped around the bottle as she took a sip.

"Hey Mercedes" Sam smiled a seductively as he leaned into her "Why don't you and I play a pick up game of basketball"

"What?" Mercedes questioned, gulping her beer, as her eyebrows disappeared into her bangs. "It's late at night Memphis. And I don't know about where you're from, but here, going to a basketball court late at night increases your chances of being shot"

"No, I don't mean "let's play basketball"" Sam sighed as she took a swig of his beer frustrated that his initial attempt at seduction was misread. "I mean let's have sex like a pick up game"

Mercedes froze. She never imagined she'd hear those words out of Sam's mouth directed towards her. "What?" she repeated, this time to make sure she heard him correctly.

"Yeah, we're both single. Neither one of us wants to rush into another relationship, but we both miss the sexual enjoyment of being in one. It's the perfect arrangement" Sam persuaded.

"You can't be serious?" Mercedes chuckled while shaking her head, unable to believe what Sam was suggesting.

"What? Why not?" He questioned, as he leaned on the counter next to him, and sat his beer down.

"Because Sam, you have to be sexually attracted to a person to have sex with them" Mercedes sighed in an obvious tone.

"So you're not sexually attracted to me? Is that what you're saying" Sam questioned

"Yes, I mean no" Mercedes corrected her self, shaking her head to help her clear it. "I think your very attractive. I meant you being attracted to me"

"Who said I wasn't"

"Oh come off it Sam" Mercedes sighed rolling her eyes in a disgusted tone "You can honestly say, that when you first saw me you were _genuinely _sexually attracted to me?" she asked in a disbelieving tone.

"Yes I was" Sam answered looking deep into her eyes.

"Oh yeah? Well name one thing that attracted you to me?" Mercedes challenged, folding her arms across her face as she shifted her weight to her right hip.

"Seriously?" Sam questioned.

"Yes, if you were really attracted to me it shouldn't be hard" Mercedes insisted "Name something"

"Your eyes" Sam said without pause, in a serious tone.

"What about them?" Mercedes questioned, feeling that was an obvious, non pervy answer for a guy.

"How they are almond shaped. Their big but not freakishly big, and when the light hits them they are lighter brown with darker brown flecks in them. And you have long curly eyelashes." Sam answered honestly while taking a drink. Mercedes stood stunned. She didn't expect him to go into such great detail about her eyes in such a short amount of time. She couldn't believe she actually believed him. "So what about me?" he asked breaking the silence.

"What about you?" she asked, not exactly sure what he was eluding to.

"Well, since you claim you have to be sexually attracted to someone, and you say you think I'm attractive, what attracted you to me?"

"Well, if I have to choose it would be your mouth" Mercedes admitted. "I know you get a hard time from San about it and all, but I think you have a very nice mouth. Your lips look soft"

"I keep chap stick on me at all times" Sam smirked.

"Name another thing" Mercedes demanded.

"You ass." Sam shot out, taking Mercedes by surprise.

"Really?" she chuckled.

"I spent the whole first day I met you walking behind you. I couldn't help but to notice it. And I'm from the South. 58% of men there are ass men" he smiled.

"That's not true" she laughed loudly, waving him off.

"Okay, the percentage of ass men no, but me staring at and liking your ass? Yes" Sam said inching closer to her. "What else?"

"Your arms" Mercedes confessed. "When you lifted your bag from the carousel you flexed a bit. You can tell you work out"

"100 push ups every night" Sam smiled.

"Well, it's working for you" Mercedes flirted lightly, to her own surprise. She shook her head, in an attempt to stay focused on the topic at issue "You're next"

"You breast" Sam smiled

"Really, they seem too big to me" Mercedes admitted as she turned her attention to her chest pushing them in a little with her arms.

"They're breast" Sam answered. "They are supposed to be full. That's like someone complaining about having too much air. It makes no sense. What else?"

"Your butt" Mercedes smiled at him, rapid fire style. "It looks firm"

"Your legs" Sam drawled

"Your hands" Mercedes cooed

"Your lips" he said with a smirk

"Your smile" she said batting her eyes

"Your eyes" Sam repeated.

"You already said that" Mercedes pointed out.

"I really meant it" Sam answered suavely with a devious smirk. A sexually charged silence filled the kitchen, as the two stared at each other. Their eyes glazed over, both wearing slight smiles at the number of possibilities running through the other's heads.

"Okay, say I were to agree to this "pick up game"" Mercedes questioned as her focus shifted between Sam's eyes to his lips. "We would need guidelines."

"I agree" Sam nodded as his focus shifted from her lips to her chest. "What do you suggest?"

"No emotional or romantic crap" Mercedes said purposefully. "It should be just sex"

"You got it. And no jealousy" Sam added.

"And no matter what, we stay friends. So we can't tell anyone about it" Mercedes stated in a serious tone.

"Of course" Sam conceded. "And we stay honest with each other, with no hard feelings"

"Okay, since you want honesty, then I have to say I'm still not sure about this then" Mercedes readily admitted as she took another sip of beer.

"Look" Sam sighed. "We're friends right? We get along great, and we both agree that neither one of us wants a new relationship right now. And as friends there is an agreement to be there for each other when it's needed. And as long as we remember we're just friends, this should be fine." He reassured her as he closed the gap between them. His lips pulled into a sexy smirk as he looked at her, staring intensely into her eyes.

"So what do you say Mercedes? Why don't you let me…" He paused to lick his lips. "Scratch your back?" he pleaded in a low growl, inching closer, stooping over slightly so that he was eye level with her.

Mercedes paused. She breathed deeply, her chest heaving against his body as she thought over everything that was just offered to her. She had to admit, the idea of the proposition was incising. And if she were being honest to herself, that all of the talk about sex did bring up some feelings she had been trying to cover with work and rehearsals. "Okay" Mercedes relented

Sam smiled brightly. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean we're friends right? What can go wrong?" Mercedes shrugged. "We'll be fine"

"Yes!" Sam exclaimed as he wrapped his hands around her hips and pulled her in close to him.

"So we're doing this right now?" Mercedes chuckled nervously, as she wiggled out of his arms, still unable to believe she had agreed to have no strings attached sex with Sam.

"Yeah, no time like the present, seize the day and all that other crap" Sam waived off as he pulled her back in close.

"Okay bedroom" Mercedes ordered as she pulled away from him and headed to the back of her apartment.

"Wait, you said no romantic crap. Isn't the bedroom kinda romantic? What's wrong with the couch?" Sam suggested as he pointed to the closer living room.

"First, I'll be more comfortable in my bed' Mercedes answered. "And it has better lighting. Plus, I still haven't had my couch scotch guarded yet" And with that she headed to her room. Sam shrugged, took one last sip of beer and followed right behind her.

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><p><strong>Okay so the Movie the two were watching was Love and Basketball. I LOVE that movie! *HOT love scene including Maxwell's version of Woman's Worth. <strong>

**So my dear readers, if given the offer Mercedes was given what would you do? (We are going to subtract the beers she had consumed while thinking this over) Would you agree to do it or would you turn him down? (I know it seems like an obvious answer but tell me anyway)**

**Hope ya like! :-***


	9. Chapter 9:You know, that thing

**Hi. So I want to start by saying thanks for all of the follows (Hi everybody!) and Favs. I really appreciate that you guys are keeping up with the story. And to my lovely reviewers, thanks so much for the love, and for answering my little question. Some of you *DreaC I'm SOOOO looking you lol* made me think and laugh. You guys rock! (P.S: I never thought about back scratchers until DreaC's post I swear LOL. But I have to agree still not a perfect substitute for a person there to help ya reach your itch. ;0) ) **

**To answer my own question: Yes. I would accept the offer BUT I would have to think about it first. I'm in my head a lot so I would have to check in with my self to make sure I could seperate my feelings from my... well you know. Once I know I can, its all good LOL.**

**So okay here is the next chapter and I'm nervous as all get out (No like for real!) cause this is my first time publishing "spicy" material. I've written some but it hasn't made it's way here yet (in my stories these two haven't gotten past second base lol). So here goes nothing... *chews nails***

**BTW: I don't own Glee, Friends with Benefits (the movie) Bambi, Avatar, Crazy Stupid Love or any of that... **

**So as always: Read, Enjoy... and Review :0)**

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><p><em><strong>…You know that thing…<strong>_

Mercedes bedroom matched her to a tee. Her queen sized bed sat on top of a very furry white rug. Her bed spread was a very deep purple, and covered in decorative pillows. Her head board was a large white block which doubled as a shelf which held book, pictures and other kick knacks. A mounted flat screen on the hung like a picture on the wall across from her bed and another set of French doors that provided another way out to her balcony garden, but these had long heavy cream colored drapes framing them. It was a room that screamed diva.

Mercedes walked to the foot of her bed. She stopped abruptly, turning to face Sam placing a stopping hand on his chest. "Okay before we do this, I guess I should tell you about my sex quirks." She sighed but still remaining stoic.

"Sex quirks?" Sam questioned as he took in his surroundings.

"Yeah, the quirks I have during, you know, sex" Mercedes explained.

"Okay?" Sam questioned bracing himself for the worst.

"Well I first, I require some form of blanket, sheets, or other form of cover. Abandonment issues" she shrugged. "Next, whenever I'm about to…you know…" She trailed off in an attempt to find a nice non vulgar word for what she was attempting to say.

"Orgasm?" Sam asked taking a shot at guessing the word she was at a lost for.

"Yes, that. Whenever that is about to happen, I get a case of the Thumpers" she stated

"What the heck is that?"

"You know how in Bambi, when Thumper, the cute boy bunny meets the girl bunny and his one leg shakes furiously? Yeah, I do that" Mercedes shrugged. "I am also a bit of a scratcher. Nothing bad, just thought I should inform you. Also after I…" Mercedes snapped, in an attempt to force herself to say the word.

"Orgasm" Sam answered

"Yeah, my legs go limp and numb for a moment. Its' only for a moment, so there's no need to worry. I also giggle afterwards. Well it's not really giggling, but you'll see" she shrugged. "That's all I think"

"Okay" Sam nodded. "That's not so bad. I guess my sex quirks, as you called them, would be I'm a bit of a bitter. Nothing too hard, I won't break skin or anything but I can at times leave a mark. I'll try to leave them in places covered by clothes. I like my hair pulled, weird I know. Uh, I have to have no more, or no less than five minutes cuddle time post sex. Anything less makes me feel cheap or easy and anything more makes me feel too needy. Control issues." Sam shrugged. "And finally when I orgasm, I have the tendency to yell out random phrases in Na'vi"

"Okay, what is Navy?" Mercedes questioned.

"Na'vi. It's the language used in the Cameron classic Avatar." Sam smiled. "It will be what Klingon is to Star Trek"

"Oh, I never saw it" Mercedes shrugged.

Sam's eyes widened to amazing proportions. "Really? You've never seen Avatar?" he gasped in disbelief. "Not even when they re-released it in theaters because it was just that epic?"

"No" Mercedes answered nonchalantly.

"Now I'm morally torn" Sam said almost to himself. "I _really_ want to have sex with you, but I _really_ want to sit you down and watch Avatar"

Mercedes walked over to Sam quietly. She suddenly wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, and pulled him down for a passionate kiss. Sam closed his eyes, and allowed her lips, to take control of him as they moved over his. Just as he thought she was going to deepen it, she suddenly pulled away from him, slowly sliding her hand across his cheek, as she lightly inhaled through her slightly parsed lips. She took two steps back to see Sam, with his eyes still shut and his lips slightly puckered.

"Make your decision" she said authoritatively, with a sexy smirk. "Movie or sex?"

"We can pull it up later on Netflix" Sam waved off as he closed the distance between them, pulling her into another kiss. His hands slid around her waist, and up to the sides of her breasts. She let out a moan against his mouth, as approval to his roaming hands. She gently pulled away from him and smiled. She walked over to her bed, and began to toss her extra pillows on the floor. She slid her deep purple sheets back, and slid between them. She laid her head against her pillows, as Sam heard the familiar sound of a zipper. She wiggled out of her jeans, and tossed them at his feet. Sam smiled as he saw the denim pants land. He quickly began slipping off his shoes. When he looked up he was hit square in the face with the shirt Mercedes was wearing.

"Opps" she giggled "Sorry"

Sam wore a large grin when the shirt slid from his face, landing on top of her jeans. "No problem" He then reached for the bottom of his shirt. He quickly lifted it over his head, revealing his rock hard torso. He heard an audible gasp, and when his head final escaped his shirt, he looked to find Mercedes with her mouth gapped open.

"What's wrong?" he questioned looking around him, wondering what warranted her reaction.

"Nothing" she said, shaken out of her trance. "Its just I understood what Emma Stone meant in Crazy Stupid Love when she told Ryan Gosling he was photo shopped"

Sam smiled with a slight blush. "Uh thanks" He unbuttoned his jeans, and slid them down his muscular legs, to his feet revealing his gray boxer briefs. He stepped out of them, and walked over to the opposite side of her bed. He slid in between the cool sheet, resting on his right side to face Mercedes. She lay on her back, with her covers up to her chest. He gently grabbed her face so she could look at him. He kissed her lightly, pulling away and smiling down on her. She shyly returned the smile. He went in again for another kiss, but this one was deeper. He gently ran his tongue across her bottom lip, as he softly sucked it into his mouth. She moaned again, as she placed her hands in his hair, lightly tugging at it.

"Pull harder" he ordered against her lips, and she complied, gripping his follicles with a bit more force. She tenderly pierced his lips with her tongue as he exhaled in pleasure. His right hand slid from her face to her bra covered breast. He began to massage it softly as he got a feel for her body.

"Harder" she demanded, breathless from his lips. He began to squeeze her with much more force. Her back arched slightly at his rougher touch. His kisses moved from her mouth to her jaw line. "Kiss the spot between my lobe and jaw" she instructed. Sam lightly ran his tongue over her jaw until he met the spot he was instructed to kiss. He gently bit her earlobe, causing her to whimper slightly. Her breathing became deeper as she inhaled, her chest rising against his strong hand. Sam pushed her left leg strait, so he could kneel between her thick strong thighs.

"Sit up so I can take your bra off" he commanded in her ear. Mercedes slid her arms under her, and rested on her elbows. Sam kissed the point were her neck and shoulder met, as he reached around to her back to free her breast. He lightly sunk his teeth into her flesh as her hooks separated from each other, sliding his course hands across her smooth bare back. He gently slid her straps down her arms as she rolled back to her original laying position. She lifted her arms up, as he pulled her bra from her body. He flung it, not caring where it landed. He looked down to her bare breast and smiled while licking his lips.

He hesitantly placed his hand back on her breast, astonished by the softness of her skin. He cupped it from the side as his thumb ran over her firm nipple. She let out an almost inaudible whimper at his touch. He slowly lowered his head down to her right breast taking her into his mouth. He gently moistened her skin with light kisses and gentle licks. "Use your teeth" she gasped. And with that Sam gently bit down on her chocolate nipple. "A little bit harder" she instructed. Sam obliged her and sunk his teeth into her more. She gasped in approval as she tugged on his hair. He moaned into her skin sending a pleasurable tremor into her chest.

He then moved his mouth to the valley between her breasts, as he gave it a soft kiss. He began to kiss his way down her body, disappearing under the sheets. He traveled quickly, only stopping to lightly lick her belly button. He then continued his path until his mouth reached the waist band of her black boy cut panties. He gently nipped at them with his teeth, pulling them away from her skin. He then opened his mouth, allowing the band to quickly snap back to their original position, causing her to giggle. Placing his hands on each side of her waistband, he ordered "Lift your hips". She quickly arched her hip towards the ceiling, as he slid the garments to her knees. She then felt his hands slid her panties to her ankles, slipping them right past her feet. His hand reached from under the sheet to toss them on the floor.

He kissed her knees leisurely as he parted them. He then lay down on his stomach as he kissed his way down her inner thighs.

"Sam?" Mercedes questions "What are you doing?"

"I'm just a friend, about to go down on another friend" he sang in a muffled tone from under the sheets. "Nothing in the guidelines against that"

"Uh, Okay" Mercedes shrugged as Sam placed his mouth against her mound.

After about a minute of his licking Mercedes rose up to her elbows. "Sam, umm what is that?" she asked.

Sam quickly scooted up to her waist, popping his head from under the sheet. "I'm going down on you" he explained.

"Uh yeah. Remember we said we would be honest with each other, with no hard feelings?"

"Yeah" Sam answered furrowing his eyebrows. "Why?"

"Because uh… how do I put this?" Mercedes wondered to herself "That's not working for me" she blurted out.

Sam was genuinely appalled. "Really?" he asked in disbelief.

"Really" Mercedes confirmed.

"Do you see these lips?" Sam asked. "And this tongue?" he quickly pointed to his mouth. "I have never gotten any complaints about this. This tongue is magic"

"Yeah, I'm sorry but it feels like my clit is a frozen turkey, and that magic tongue of yours, is a finger poking it to check if it's thawed. I'm sorry you never got any complaint because the women probably didn't want you to give up on going down all together."

Sam paused. Her comment made him quickly rethink his oral prowess. "Well" he spoke after a moment of reflection on the women he had previously preformed the act on "tell me what to do"

Mercedes smiled lightly and nodded. "Okay"

Sam's golden locks disappeared back under the sheet as he resumed his previous position, his head between her thighs. "Okay, you know where my clitoris is so you're not totally lost." Mercedes soothed. "Try giving it lighter, stroking licks." Sam, wanting to get this right, and learn for the future, took her instruction and did as he was told. He heard a gentle exhale from Mercedes that indicated he was doing it correctly. After a while or so Mercedes moaned "That's good, now try going in circles, but at the same speed and force". Sam quickly complied, causing Mercedes to writhe against his mouth, moaning softly as his tongue ran laps around her nub. "Okay" she sighed in pleasure after a few minutes "Gently suck". And with that, he enclosed his soft lips around her. He received loud groan as he got a glimpse of her hands as they clawed at the bed sheet. Finally, after he alternated between careful lick, and soft sucking, she breathlessly told him to "Hum the first song that comes to mind". And with that, Sam began to perform for her his rendition of Somebody to Love by Justin Beiber. He hummed sending the music into her body in the form of vibration, from deep in his throat, into her clit, allowing it to radiate through out her body. By the time he was finished with the first verse, Mercedes right leg began to shake by his left ear, as his performance washed over her.

He continued until her leg went still and he heard her whimper, softly, but in rapid succession, in what could be easily confused as a small giggle. He slid head from under the covers, stopping just below her breast to find her trying to cover her mouth in an attempt to suppress the sound.

He smiled at the sight of her slightly trembling. "Well, you know how I roll" he joked as he smiled at her widely. He slid next to her, resting his head on her second set of pillows. She laughed at him and his new found confidence, after his lesson.

They lay there, quite for a moment, until Mercedes rolled to her side and smiled. She gently pulled him into a deep kiss, as their tongues dance around each other. She gently rolled on top of him, with her leg straddling him. She slowly moved her kisses down the front of his throat, stopping at his collar bone. She then gently ran her tongue back up towards his chin, lightly biting it, eliciting a hissing moan from his lips. She slowly slid her body down his, kissing it at random points along the way. With a quick tug, she relieved him of his briefs, tossing them on the floor. She mentally noted how impressive every inch of his body was, especially his member.

"Okay, now let me tell you what to do" Sam began in an authoritative voice "because women think- oh!" He was stopped by the feeling of Mercedes supple moist tongue at the underside of his manhood. She ran it from the base to the top, stopping to playfully flick it over the head, causing Sam to groan from somewhere deep in his belly. She then skillfully wrapped her lush lips around him while twirling her tongue around the tip, causing him to shudder. She began to bob her head, taking more of him in, as he filled her humid mouth, with each down beat. Whatever didn't fit, she gently massaged with her hand, working with her head in tandem. She began to moan, allowing him to experience the same vibrating sensation she just experienced moments ago. Sam's abs tightened, his breathing began to race, as she pushed him closer to orgasm with ever bob of her head. He clawed at the sheets as she continually sped up her rhythmic pace. When she felt his manhood twitch, she moved her mouth in time to hear him yell "Oeru teya si!" loudly, as he spilled himself onto his stomach.

Mercedes crawled to the top of the bed, from under her sheets, to find Sam's eye fluttering, as he attempted to control his breathing, while lightly shaking. She smiled at him and mocked "Well you know how I roll". Reaching up onto her head board, she grabbed two tissues from her personal box, to allow him to clean up.

As she handed them to him, she slid back down next to him and sighed. "What did you say?" Mercedes asked after a moment.

"Just now? I didn't say anything" Sam shrugged.

"No, in that Avatar language. What is it? Na'vi? What did you say?"

"Oh" Sam sighed hoping she didn't think he was a total dork "I said "Oeru teya si". It means fills me with joy"

"Oh" Mercedes shrugged. "Your welcome" she smiled as she giggled. Sam blushed which caused her to laugh noisily. "No" she sighed as she regained her composer "It actually sounds nice" she sighed.

"Thanks" he shrugged. He rolled to his side to see her smiling up at her ceiling. He scooted next to her, kissing her deeply, as the taste of each other mixed on their lips. They kissed passionately as he rolled on top of her, moving his kisses down to her collar bone. As he placed kisses along her neck, Mercedes slowly began to grind her hips upwards against his, indicating she still wanted more, which internally excited Sam.

"Do you have any condoms?" He asked against her skin, as he felt himself getting hard again.

"Yeah, in my bed side drawer" she sighed, breathless with anticipation.

Sam rolled over to the side and opened the drawer to find the red and white LifeStyle condoms she kept. "Yeah, 'Cedes, I can't fit these"

Mercedes rolled up on her elbows and looked at him in a disbelieving manner. "Condoms are one size fits all"

"Okay, It's one size fits _most_, and I can fit it but not comfortably" Sam corrected himself "they're too… tight. Why do you have this kind anyway, what did you stop at a free clinic or something?" he lightly ribbed.

"These are perfectly fine" she chuckled in defense of her purchase. They had fit Shane without a problem she thought.

"No, not for me, but don't worry I got it" he reassured as he hopped out of bed, giving Mercedes an amazing view of his firm ass. She secretly smiled to her self as she tried not to stare. He ran to his jeans, found his wallet, and pulled out a gold wrapped condom. He ripped it open and quickly rolled it on. He quickly lifted the sheets and got back into bed.

Sam crawled between her legs, and looked down at her, as he ran his hand from her bent knees, down to her supple thighs. He slowly took his manhood, and rubbed its tip against Mercedes warm damp slit, traveling from her opening to her clit, and back down, lightly coating himself in her juices. Mercedes moaned as her hips writhed against him. Finally Sam, stopped at her opening, and slowly penetrated her, allowing her tight walls to feel every inch of him squeeze through them. As he slowly sank deeper into her, Mercedes leg began to shake. Sam smiled at the fact she was ready to come just by penetration, as he reached down to kiss her deeply on her lips. Her hands went to the back of his muscular shoulders, as he slowly began to pump his hips into hers. Her breathing quickened as hips picked up pace. Her walls began to constrict around him, sending a shiver down his spine. She slowly ran her nails down his back, as he grunted against her mouth. Mercedes gave a muffled bawl as another orgasm pierced her body. She whimpered as she lightly bit into Sam's bottom lip, holding it gently between her teeth. Sam began to thrust harder with excitement and anticipation of his own orgasm. As he pulled away from her, his lip sprang back into position in enough time for him to yell "Foti awngal tiyakuk, mi te'lan" as he bucked his head back. His arms shook as he collapsed back down onto Mercedes, resting his head on her chest.

Silence engulfed the room as they cuddled. After approximately five minutes, Sam rolled off of Mercedes. They both stared at the ceiling, listening to the other breathe. Sam sat up, swinging his legs to the floor, while Mercedes pulled her sheets to her chest. She silently watched him slid off his condom, and tossed it into her wastepaper basket.

"So" Sam said, breaking the silence in the room.

"So" Mercedes repeated softly with a shrug.

"I guess I should… head home?" Sam looked around, unsure of the post sex protocol.

"Yeah… yeah, you should" Mercedes agreed. "It's getting pretty late"

Sam silently got dressed, as Mercedes watched him, unsure of what to say. After he slipped on his shoes Sam walked over to the side of the bed Mercedes was sitting on. He paused and looked around the room.

"Okay, I don't know how to do this" Sam admitted

"Do what?" she answered.

"Say goodbye. Like do I give you a kiss?" he asked, truly confused of the proper good night gesture.

"No, too intimate" Mercedes replied.

"Hand-shake?" he guessed

"Too formal" she chuckled. "Come here" she said, holding one of her arms out in a welcoming fashion while the other clung to the sheet covering her. Sam leaned in, wrapping his arms around her, giving her a hardy hug. "Good night Sam" she sighed into his ear.

"Night Mercedes" he smiled as he pulled away.

He headed out of her bedroom and heard her call out "Make sure to lock my door on the way out"

"Sure thing" he answered. He grabbed his light spring jacket he brought over with him, and headed out the door, making sure it was locked after he left.

Sam rode the subway home in complete silence. He fumbled with his keys with both the building and apartment doors, when he arrived home. He walked straight to bed, ripping off his clothing along the way, and crashed straight into his cool inviting sheet. With in two minutes, Sam was passed out.

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><p><strong>BTW: the Gold Wrapped condom I was refering to are Trojan Magnum Condoms. They are for guys who are...ahem... larger in that area. And yes they can come in an XL size. ;0) <strong>

**Foti awngal tiyakuk, mi te'lan= we will strike them in the heart!**


	10. Chapter 10: Buyers Remorse

**Hi! So I updated one of my other stories yesterday so I decided I can take the time and update this one too. As always I'm so happy guys are enjoying the story so far. I would also like to thank all of the follows and favs I've gotten. (Hey out there!) And to my reviewers I swear you guys are the most! and I LOVE all of it! HA! (Like really you guys crack me up!) BTW mariposafria I can totally believe that about Angie. There where probably some ladies in her stable too (Not judging at all cause she got it like that. She's hot! Just saying) **

**I really like that you guys liked the sex quirks of last chapter (And I really thought about it and I have no clue about the Thumper.*Shrug*but if you can relate congrats. LOL) .And yep we all have them. I too have mine ;0) **

**So this chapter is like that time when you go shopping and you see a shirt, sweater, dress, whatever and you LOVE it in the store. Then on the car ride home, you start to second guess buying it. **

**So as always:**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review :0)**

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><p><em><strong>Buyers Remorse:<strong>_

The sun light pierced through Mercedes double doors. It was warm and bright, which would normally be an amazing start to a beautiful spring morning. However, it caused Mercedes head to throb even more than it originally was. She squinted as she tried to block it out with her hand. She sat up slowly, taking inventory of her surroundings. Her mouth was dry, and sticky from dehydration, and her sheets a rumpled heap. Then she saw it: her bra dangly carelessly from her mounted television. That's when the realization of the previous night became reality. She and Sam had sex.

Mercedes slowly swung her feet out of bed, cautiously, as if her legs would break. She gently stood, the blood rushing from her head, causing it to throb loudly. She snatched her robe, from near by stand, and quickly wrapped it around her. She then took a few steps, feeling, an indescribable soreness in her pelvis from the previous nights activates. As she took another step she heard something crinkle under her foot. She gently looked down to find an open gold condom wrapper stuck to it. She gently lifted her foot, and pealed it off gingerly. She plopped down on her bed, as she stared at it, almost in disbelief. She examined it quietly as her stomach dropped. "What did we do?" she whispered.

Suddenly, Mercedes was hit by a flash back of Sam's devious smile as he asked to "scratch her back". She then was hit with the vision of him lightly biting her as he unhooked her bra. She closed her eyes to make the flashes stop but they just kept coming in waves. Her leg shaking, his abs, their lips meeting, his lips making her giggle, the visuals kept invading her thoughts. She stood up abruptly, causing her to feel dizzy. She stumbled, catching her balance with the aid of her bed. She slowly staggered to her doubled doors, and yanked her drapes closed. She turned to her now dark room and sighed as she looked at her pile of clothing on the floor.

She walked silently into her bathroom. She took her hair, and twisted it up, to take it off of her neck, securing it with an oversized clip. She then began to run the water in her bathtub, placing her hand under the faucet to make sure it was hot enough. As it filled, she brushed her teeth, getting rid of the film and beer taste from the previous night. She then gently disrobed, allowing her garment to fall to the floor. Mercedes eased herself into the hot water, in an attempt to rid herself of her soreness, and the memory of last night. As she sunk into the water, her body relaxed. She rested her head on the back of her tub as the water rushed up to her shoulders. Closing her eyes, she allowed the waters soothing heat to melt away all of her worries. Then suddenly her eyes popped open when she realized that today was Saturday, and she would have to face Sam in just a few hours.

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><p>Mercedes was still feeling a little woozy later that day, and decided it wasn't the best ideal for her to drive to rehearsal. She sat quite on the subway, reflecting on her decision, and planning what she was going to do when she saw him. She was running late after going back and forth on whether she would even attend today or skip it. At the last minute she decided to go, considering the fact that she couldn't avoid him forever. She called Artie to inform him she would be late, after she finally left her apartment.<p>

As she road the service elevator to the rehearsal space, Mercedes took deep breaths, expanding her diaphragm as wide as it could go, then instantly flushing all the air out of her lungs. She repeated "Just act normal" to herself, her mantra for the day.

When she walked into the studio area, she was happy to find Sam, Finn, and Puck, in the recording area, practicing. "Hey Wheezy, I understand you and George just moved on up to the East side, but can you try to be on time?" Santana snidely remarked.

"Shut it San" Mercedes huffed as she lightly plucked her on her arm.

All of her other band mates where there plus Brittney.

"Mercedes" the blonde sang as she jumped up wrapping Mercedes in a warm embrace.

"Hey Brits" Mercedes smiled, as she secretly eyed Sam through the large window pane. He seemed relaxed, and hadn't noticed she was there. She suddenly heard Brittney inhale through her nose. She pulled the blonde away from her slightly and asked "Did you just sniff me?"

Brittney just looked at her, in a studying manner, without answering. She slid her hands off of her shoulders down to Mercedes, holding them palm up. She stared into them, as Mercedes wore a bewildered expression. Mercedes looked over at Santana, who simply shrugged. She placed her focus back on Brit, who was now staring at her face. She furrowed her brows slightly, then relaxed her face and smiled exclaiming "You're pretty and glowie"

"Uh… thanks?" Mercedes questioned as she moved on to greeting the others in the room with hugs and kisses on the cheeks. When she finally reached Artie, he smiled at her and exclaimed "Great!" He then went over the intercom and informed the other room, "We're going to have Sam and Mercedes go over Syrup and Honey since she's finally here"

Mercedes could here her heart stop for a second. "Uh, we don't have to do that right now" she said, as Sam's green eyes landed on her. She felt sick all over again, wondering at that moment what he was thinking. Then suddenly, she was hit with a flashback of him totally nude, hovering over her with a smile. She shook her head, in an attempt to keep the thought from reaching her facial expression.

"No" Artie answered. "We might as well go over it now." He turned back to the microphone and added "Puck and Finn, you two come in here so they can run through it"

"They don't have to leave" Mercedes blurted out.

"The song only calls for a voice, yours, and a guitar, Sam. They can rest."

Mercedes sighed as she tentatively put her bag on an empty seat in studio, and headed for the rehearsal area. She figured she had to do this, so she might as well co-operate and get it over with. She walked into the padded recording area and was gently greeted by Puck and Finn with light kisses on the cheek as they passed her. She sighed as she walked towards Sam, who was standing a few feet away from the main recording microphone. She gulped, as she quickly diverted her eyes.

"Hey Sam" she said under her breath.

"Hey" he replied, as he avoided eye contact. A thick tension filled the air as she slowly walked over to the microphone. She faced the front as she looked into the window, to find all eyes on her and Sam. Her stomach sank. She breathed deeply as she pulled a stool up next to the mic. If she had to do this now, she was going to have to take a seat.

"Sam, why don't you sit next to Mercedes?" Artie called through the mic in the studio.

"I don't' need to sit" Sam called out.

"Well it might look cool to perform it that way, so I want to see how it looks" Artie explained.

Sam tentatively pulled up a stool next to Mercedes, but maintained a good distance from her. They sat in the room, avoiding eye contact at all cost. Mercedes sang Duffy's Syrup and Honey, keeping her focus either front to her friends, in the studio area, or closing them shut, while Sam played. However, whenever she closed her eyes, she saw visuals of the previous night so she refrained from closing them too much.

At the end of the song, Artie called out "That was lovely, but it was missing something"

"Like what" Mercedes questioned, slightly irritated.

"Passion, or fire or something. I can't quite put my finger on it" he explained as she shrugged. "I think you guys should go over it again"

"How about we just move on and let San practice" Mercedes suggest. She couldn't spend another second that close to Sam. Even though the room they were in was large, it felt like they were in a crowded elevator, being pushed together.

Mercedes got up and headed to the back up singer microphones, as Finn, Puck, Tina, and Santana piled in. Puck knew the guitar riff used so he would be the one to play, while Sam headed into the studio. Santana and the rest of the group ran through her singing lead on Melanie Finona's Bang Bang.

Sam sat quietly, next to Brittney. He wasn't use to the blonde yet. He knew she was harmless, but he still hadn't figured her out. He could feel her staring at him out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head, smiling at her uncomfortably. "Uh hey Brittney, what's up?" he asked after a second.

"You know I have a burlesque show coming out in August, right?" she questioned.

"Uh yeah." Sam answered honestly. Brittney was the chorographer and lead dancer in a hot new burlesque show that had already gained a lot of buzz in the off Broadway scene. "Why?" he asked

"Because something in me tells you would be able to fit in very well with the show." She shrugged.

"Uh, I thought it was an all female production?" Sam questioned.

"It is, but I can tell you can move, but I haven't figured out why yet" she shrugged as she titled her head. She then took his hands into hers, palm up. She stared into them, and then at his face. Then, without warning, she reached in and sniffed Sam. He turned to the studio to find Kurt, Artie, and Mike so entranced by the performance in the next room to notice her awkward behavior. He turned back to the blonde who was now smiling sweetly at him. She sat back on the couch, silent for the rest of the practice.

When rehearsal was over the group stood outside, chatting. Sam walked over to Mercedes as she was talking to Tina and Mike. "Can we talk?" he whispered into her ear, causing her to jump slightly.

"Uh sure" she answered "Let's take a walk" she suggested ensuring no one overheard their conversation.

They quickly said their good-byes to the others, and began to walk up the block in silence. After a block and a half Sam finally asked "How are you?"

"I'm okay" Mercedes said looking at her feet as they strolled.

"Look Mercedes" Sam started but tailed off unsure where to go with the conversation.

"Last night was a mistake" Mercedes blurted out, as she stopped walking. Sam stopped and turned to face her as she added "I mean what the hell where we thinking?"

Sam relaxed his shoulders, letting go of the breath he was subconsciously holding. "Oh man" he sighed, comforted by the fact he wasn't the only who felt that way. "I woke up this morning hung over and scared I just lost my closest friend in this city. I didn't know what to do or-"

"How to act when you saw me?" Mercedes finished. "I almost didn't come today for that same reason" she admitted. "I mean I wasn't sure how-"

"To act around me, or how I was going to act?" Sam questioned. "I felt the same way" he sighed.

"Also, we're in a band together" Mercedes pointed out.

"Yeah, what if the others found out? How would they react?" Sam questioned Mercedes, knowing she knew the rest of them better than he did.

"I don't' even want to think about that right now" she waved off. "Look" Mercedes sighed "Last night was a one time thing. We… you know… but we can move past it and stay friends."

Sam sighed in relief of her words. "I totally agree" he smiled finally looking her in the eye.

"So it's settled, we're going to remain friends, and act like last night never happened" Mercedes declared smiling.

"Okay" Sam agreed as they gave each other a hardy, agreeing shake. "Did you drive?"

"No, I was still to out of it so I took the train" Mercedes sighed "Want to split a cab?"

"Of course pal" Sam smiled as he nudged her slightly. Sam threw his hand up, getting the attention of a cab close by. He opened the door for Mercedes and followed behind her. She gave the driver her address first, then his. They sat in silence for a while, looking out of their respective passenger windows as the cab weaved through traffic.

"I mean last night wasn't bad" Sam blurted out of no where. "In fact it was… really good" he smiled to himself.

"Yeah" Mercedes agreed as she glanced at him. "It was" she looked over at him to see him staring at her, his green eye glazing over. Her focus then shifted to his lips, as he nervously bit them. She licked her own, as she focused back on his eyes. She fought herself blurting out that he was the best she had. Those kind of confessions where reserved for boyfriends or potential boyfriends.

Sam stared at her and noticed he was fighting the urge to grab Mercedes and kiss her. He didn't want to say it out loud but the previous night was the most amazing night he had in a very long time. But that seemed too needy.

The cab suddenly hit a bump, causing them to knock into each other. Sam instinctively put his arm around her, to secure and steady her. It was the first time they touched since the previous night. The contact had awoken something in them. The mood of the back seat shifted. Mercedes stomach tingled at the feel of his hands. Sam licked his lips slowly as he pulled her in closer, giving in to his urge. Mercedes didn't fight his pull, and parted her lips. As their lips met, a wave of lust rushed over them. Their tongues danced a familiar tango as they circled around each other. Mercedes hands instantly went to Sam's hair, tugging on it. He moaned into her, as his hands slid to her waist. He gently bit her bottom lip, tasting her lip gloss of choice for the day. When they finally pulled away they looked at each other, passionately.

"What are we doing?" Mercedes asked breathless.

"I'm not sure" Sam admitted "But, I really don't want to stop"

"Me neither" Mercedes agreed. "I mean, the only reason we were so awkward today was because we were over thinking the situation"

"Yeah" Sam nodded "I mean no one noticed anything different about us. If we hadn't been scared, today would have been like any other practice"

"And we're still friends right?" Mercedes asked with confidence. "That hasn't changed"

"Of course" Sam agreed "We'd jus t be friends who get to see each other naked" he said eyeing her as if she was already were.

"And it's not like after this we will still be in any rush to get into a relationship." Mercedes reasoned "So why should we be without sex for that long?"

"When there is amazing sex that we could be having with each other" Sam interjected.

"Amazing" Mercedes giggled "I thought it was just really good?"

"I was just trying to down play it so you wouldn't figure out I wanted more" Sam confessed

"Yeah me too" Mercedes smiled as she pulled him into another deep and passionate kiss.

When she released him Sam stared at her intensely and yelled to the driver "We're only going to the first stop"

When they made it to Mercedes apartment, they hopped out of the cab, Sam tossing the driver more than enough for the fare and tip. They lightly jogged up the three flights of stairs, with Sam following the sway and dance of her ass as they climbed. When they reached her front door Mercedes fished in her bag for her keys. Sam stood behind her, and wrapped his strong arm around her waist. He slid her hair to one side, revealing her neck. He kissed and licked on it hungrily, as his hand moved up from her waist to lightly palming her breast. He lightly bit her skin, as she slowly grinded her ass against his increasing hardness in his jeans. He noticed she had frozen, when he heard her gasp in passion.

"Uh Mercedes?" Sam asked when he saw the keys in her hands, but she wasn't moving.

"Yes" she answered breathless in his grasp, with her eyes clenched shut.

"Aren't you suppose to be opening the door" he chuckled lightly.

"Oh" she opened her eyes, remembering her surroundings. "Right"

She unlocked her three locks and opened the door. Sam walked in first, with her following him. She turned to close the door behind her, and tossed her keys on her side table. When she turned to face him, she found Sam right in front of her. He stepped closer to her, sandwiching her between his solid body and the door. He took her hands, and placed them above her head, pinning them against the door by her wrists. He kissed her passionately, moving his mouth from her plump lips to her neck. She panted as he nipped at her skin, grinding her hips against his. He slid his hands slowly down her arms to her torso, stopping right under her breast. She wrapped her arms around his neck, lightly running her nails down its sides towards his Adam's apple. She pushed him away lightly, as she finally caught her breath. He gazed into her eyes lustfully. The only sound in the room was their heavy breathing. Mercedes smiled slyly as she grabbed his hand, leading him back to her bed room. After awhile the only noise in the apartment was giggling and a growl of Na'vi.

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><p><strong>So I'll be real, I've had "buyers remorse" before. (And nope not talking about shoes, or clothing here lol) And it doesn't even have to be sex. Cause I know there are some guys I regret just kissing (UGH!) <strong>


	11. Chapter 11: A night off

**Hi. Smoochie girls huh? I'm so happy I'm not alone in that! (I am one too hehe) And yeah the conversation after whatever action you have remorse for is too uncomfortable but it has to happens sometimes. I loved all the reviews by the way! you guys are great and funny I swear. I just hope I'm keeping you as entertained as you guys keep me with your reviews. And I would like to give a hardy HELLO! to all of the people following, and favoriting (is that a word?) this story. I love getting alerted so thanks!**

**So this one is a shortie, but its necessary for the next chapter (which is going to be juicy if I do say so myself... and I do LOL) and the chapters to follow.**

**So just a reminder: I don't own Glee, Friends with Benefits, Avatar (wish I did though) or any other movie mentioned here.**

**As always: Read, Enjoy, and Review!**

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><p><em><strong>A night off:<strong>_

"I'm not pushing this button until you are in here, next to me, giving the television your full undivided attention" Sam yelled to the kitchen as he lounged in Mercedes bed. He tugged at his Green Lantern Tee and his boxer shorts.

"Okay, okay" Mercedes huffed as she carried in a large popcorn bowl and two bottles of water. She was dressed in a spaghetti strap tank in purple, with her PiNK cut off sweatpants. Her hair was recklessly clipped up, and she wore her glasses. She slid onto the bed placing the bowl between them. She handed Sam his water, setting hers on the bed side table next to her. "This movie _BETTER_ be as good as you claim Memphis" Mercedes sighed.

"Look it is the ultimate move" Sam smiled. "It has something for everyone. It has sci-fi themes, for your science lover such as myself"

"Aka dorks" Mercedes giggled. Sam reached over, poking her in the side with his finger, eliciting a jerk and a loud laugh.

"It has big guns and cool fight scenes for your action lovers. And might I add, it has one of the most romantic love stories ever told." Sam smiled "And this is coming from a dude"

It was the Sunday night, after Mercedes and Sam decided that they would continue on with their arrangement. However, this night they were more friends than the "other" thing. Even though their agreement was new territory for both of them, their friendship was still light and easy. It was just the day before they were a sensual tangle of arms, legs, skin, and lust. But right after their "pick up game" Sam began to talk about Avatar and how amazing it was. And, after conducting a tickle attack on Mercedes for almost two minutes straight, he convinced her to watch it with him. So after their Sunday rehearsal, the duo, with the rest of the members, ate dinner together at a local restaurant. Then Sam, under guise of accompanying her home, traveled to Mercedes apartment to watch his all time favorite movie.

"You know when I said make yourself at home, I expected you to keep you pants on" Mercedes giggled after she noticed he was in his boxer.

"Hey, you didn't specify" Sam smirked granting her his best Matthew McConaughey impression. "Plus, it's nothing you've never seen before"

Mercedes playfully rolled her eyes at his remark, choosing to ignore it for the time being. "Whatever, just remember I'm the romance story expert so I'll be the judge of if the story is or isn't romantic thank-you" Mercedes declared "You stick to your scientific movies"

"You'll see" Sam smiled as he finally started the movie as they settled in "You won't be disappointed"

The two watch the movie in silence. Sam periodically looked over to Mercedes to gage her reaction to certain parts of the movie. He noticed her quietly wipe a tear when Grace died, and how she jumped during the scenes with the Tree of Life being burned to the ground.

"So" Sam smiled excited to get her reaction, as the credits began to roll.

"Eh" she shrugged, holding back a laugh as she acted like she wasn't impressed by the movie.

Sam's mouth fell open in disbelief. "You can't be serious" he questioned, as stared at her.

Mercedes turned her head to see the look on his face. When she saw his face, she couldn't hold her composure any longer. She broke out into a loud and hardy laugh. "Wow, you should see your face" she chuckled at his expression. "No, I liked the movie" she smiled.

"Really, you're not just saying that?" Sam questioned, hoping his reaction to her first statement didn't sway her decision.

"No, I really liked it. It was good" she smiled. "I never saw it because before because all I saw in the previews were really weird tall blue people, but you were right, it had a bit of everything in it"

Sam let out a sigh of relief at her real answer. "Good" he smiled "because I was going to have to rethink our whole friendship" he ribbed as he slid closer to her.

Mercedes laughed knowing he was probably partially serious. "But, I wouldn't have made it as a Na'vi" she admitted as she snuggled into her pillows.

"Why not? It seems cool to me"

"I would be walking everywhere, because I wouldn't have been able to get one of those banshee things. I'm terrified of extreme heights" she shuddered at the thoughts. "That's the reason I've lived in New York for so long and have never been to the top of the Empire State Building, or the Statue of Liberty. Any sky scraper for that fact"

"Really?" Sam questioned. "Well, you would have been use to heights, you know growing up in a humongous tree and all" Sam explained "so it wouldn't have been so bad"

"And it was kind of weird the thing they use to attach to the banshee, they used for sex" Mercedes shook her head. "It's like you starting your car with you Johnson"

"Who said I can't?" Sam smiled mischievously wiggling his eyebrows, causing Mercedes to shake her head while laughing. "But a lot of people have that complaint" Sam admitted "But other than that, you have to admit the sex scene was kinda hot"

"Yeah it was" Mercedes agreed "It must be intense to feel everything around you living and breathing while you're in the middle of sex."

Sam scooted closer to Mercedes and nuzzled her with his nose. "Well, I'm not sure, but we can try and find out" he said smiling into her skin as he pulled the top of her tank top away from her breast.

"Uh, no Mr. Evans" she smiled at his attempt as she swatted his hand away. "One, we agreed tonight was just a movie night, nothing more. And seeing as you didn't bring one of your special Willy Wonka golden ticket condoms, and you claim you can't fit the ones I have, it's a no go" she smiled.

Sam sighed knowing that everything Mercedes just explained was correct. "I know it's just the movie, and you seeing it. It's like I broke your Avatar cherry" he nuzzled her again.

This time she broke out into a loud boisterous laugh. "Avatar cherry? It's amazing you get women at all" she ribbed.

"Okay" Sam straightened up, attempting to take his attention away from the cleavage popping out of her shirt "The love story was good though, you have to admit that."

"Yeah, I admit it was. Considering she went from trying to kill him, to giving him her virginity, it was a complete 180" Mercedes analyzed. "And Jake was kinda hot"

"Actually, now that I think about it a lot of the super hero movies I watch have amazing love stories." Sam sighed.

"Yeah, they do. I really like the love triangle between Wolverine, Cyclops, and Jean Grey" Mercedes sighed.

Sam sat up, snapping his head to look at her. "Really, you've seen X-Men?" he said disbelieving.

"Yeah, I watch some super hero movies. I just never saw Avatar" She giggled at his surprise. "But I love superhero movies. They have some of the greatest love stories, and the best grand gestures"

"Grand gestures?" Sam questioned.

"Yeah, you know when the hero does something totally out of character or totally over the top for the one he loves? That's a grand gesture. Like when Jake sacrificed his life for Neytiri and her people, not knowing if he would be able join his Na'vi avatar? That was his grand gesture to show he loved not only her but her people" she sighed wistfully like a little girl discussing a beloved fairytale.

"Well did you see Captain America?" He asked with a slight grin excited to find out that he could infuse some of his movies into their movie nights and she'd be totally into it.

"No, I have to admit, I missed that one" she smiled.

"Well, we just have to fix that" Sam smiled as he quickly pulled it into her que to watch next. "I think you'll like this one, a real tragic love story with a very bittersweet, what do you call it? Gesture" he smiled.

"Okay" she sighed, snuggling into her pillows with a smile "I trust you, since Avatar didn't suck."

"Hey" Sam grinned "I have amazing taste, you'll see."

The two spent the rest of the night watching Captain America fight Red Skull, in an easy, comfortable silence. Just as friends.

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><p><strong>Ah the grand gesture. I love them in movies I must admit. One of my later chapters will touch on one of my all time favorite ones from one of my favorite movies. And yes, Sam turning MJ into Mercedes in lights was one of the cutest ones I've seen on Glee! (giggles) so I have to ask what have been your favorite grand gestures? It can be from tv or movies. <strong>


	12. Chapter 12: Sleepover

**Hi! I want to start with a great big ole thanks to everyone following and favoriting this story and me as an author (Like wow, that really makes my day! Thanks soo much!) And to my reviewers you guys are so much fun! Thanks for taking the time out to read and drop me a message. And what I have learned from the reviews so far is that I need to see Run Away Bride (Never saw it) cause a lot of you guys loved their grand gesture. And I totally agree about 16 Candles. My first love and I had a moment like that for my 16th (I didn't do a party) and it was sweet (and kinda hot... oh teenage love LOL). And yes Joey and Pacey were cute (from what I watched of Dawson's) but I thought Pacey was cute period. And Imitation of Life has never in MY WHOLE LIFE never failed to make me cry like a baby (especially at the end where Sarah Jean apologized and admited she was her mother. UGH *Wipes eyes just thinking about it*) **

**As for another one of my favorit gestures (I was just reminded of) is in Cruel Intentions where Ryan raced to the train station. And as Reese rode up the escalator he was there at the top waiting for her, hair all messy from speeding in his sports car, his blue button down shirt a little rumpled from rushing to her. And all she could say was "I'm impressed" and he replied "Well I'm in love". He kissed her which lead to her giving him her virginity to Color Blind by Counting Crows. *Swoon* Which btw is one of my favorite songs (Because of that scene really LOL). **

**So I will stop rambling and give you guys the next chapter (then return back to my book :0( I hate studying ) I hope you guys enjoy it.**

**Oh I don't own Glee, Friends with Benefits, or anything else Trademarked in this story. **

**As always: Read, Enjoy, and Review :0)**

**P.S: sorry for typos, kinda rushing here LOL.**

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><p><em><strong>Sleepover:<strong>_

It had been almost been a week into their agreement, and Sam and Mercedes were adjusting nicely to their dual friendship. Almost every night that week, after work, Sam stopped to Mercedes place. They would joke around, watch television and talk, but it would always end up in her bedroom. Not that either party had any real complaints.

"Hey Finn" Sam called out to his roommate on one of the few nights he'd gone straight back to his own apartment "You want to order in tonight?" he asked as he sat at this drafting desk. Sam had finally gotten inspiration for a new comic. He was so excited about his new project; he'd been able to finish an initial sketch of the villain in his story.

"Oh, not tonight" Finn sighed as he came in straightening his clothes. He was dressed in black suite with a white shirt and a black tie. "I promised Rachel I would go with her to a dinner party" he sighed as he adjusted his tie, the obvious signs of not really wanting to go wearing across his face.

"Wow, you look excited" Sam joked as he leaned against the back of his drafting chair.

"Yeah right" Finn rolled his eyes "It's just that her theater friends are all extra artsy, and all they want to talk about are musicals, and which producers they want to work with and blah blah blah" he huffed. "I always feel so out of place at these things"

"Well, at least there will be free food" Sam reasoned as he secretly checked off another thing he didn't miss about relationships, attending the others "special events".

"And beer. But at least Kurt and Blaine will be there so I'll know somebody other than Rachel this time" Finn shrugged. "Oh, and I probably won't be home tonight" he added.

"I guessed as much" Sam smiled. "Looks like more Chinese takeout for me"

"Yeah" Finn agreed as a ting of jealous rose in him at Sam's freedom. "See ya tomorrow"

"See ya" Sam waived. He sat quietly in his room until he heard the front door close and the lock click. He tapped his pencil against his sketches, suddenly feeling restless, and unfocused. He smiled to him self as he reached for his phone and quickly texted Mercedes.

_What are you doing?_

A minute passed before his phone vibrated. _About to order dinner. U?_ She quickly sent back.

_The same. Why don't u come over here?_

_Where's Finn?_

_Dinner party with Rachel. Gone for the nite ;-)_

_I'll order and pick up on my way there. Chinese good?_

_Perfect._

Thirty minutes later, Sam heard the intercom ring. He quickly jogged over to it, and pushed the button. "Hello"

"Mercedes Delivery" she sang into the speaker.

He buzzed her up and opened the door, leaning against the door frame wearing a large grin as he waited for her. After a moment Mercedes smiled as she came up the stairs, holding a bag of food. "Does this mean you expect a tip?" Sam joked as she made her way towards him.

"Ha ha ha" she said sarcastically. "And yes, I fully expect a tip" she laughed pushing past him.

The duo sat down at the breakfast bar, sharing their Chinese food, and light conversation about work. He excitedly told Mercedes about his new project. "I don't know why, but I just feel different about this comic 'Cede" he beamed, as he picked at the food on his plate. "This one feels special"

"Well, I'm sure it's going to be amazing" she smiled, genuinely interested in his new endeavor. But with the passion Sam spoke about his artwork, one could help but be to be pulled in.

After they cleaned up their plates, they lounged about the apartment, just enjoying each others company. They ended up in Sam's room, when he offered to show her his ideas for the ND logo, and a few of his new sketches.

"These are really good" she sighed with a smile. She gently thumbed through his latest sketches, when one seemed to stand out to her. It wasn't finished, but for some reason it seemed familiar to her. "Hey" she questioned as she stared at the paper, "are you drawing these based off of particular people?" she questioned.

Sam, who was lounging on his bed, shrugged his left shoulder. "No, no one in particular, why do you ask?"

"I don't know but it just seems like I've seen this person before" she shrugged as she placed all of his work back on his drafting desk. "So these are some of the sketches for the bad guys in your new comic?"

"Yep" Sam smiled as he eyed Mercedes from the back. She wore a simple red, sleeveless, shift dress that stopped right after her knees, with a light black cardigan. He figured she had just walked into her apartment from work when he texted her, but he didn't mind. It was nice to see the business side of his friend.

Mercedes quietly took in Sam's room, attempting to figure out all of the changes he made to it to suit his needs. As she walked to sit on his bed, she observed the little touches to the room that made it innately Sam. She remembered its walls well considering she was use to sleeping there when it was still Kurt's room. Whenever she had a fresh break up, or Kurt and Blaine were in a lovers tiff she would always go there to cuddle, cry, and comfort.

"Hey Sam" she called from across the bed from her tall blonde friend. Sam turned his head to see what his guest wanted. From over her shoulder Mercedes calmly stated "my back itches."

A smile curls onto his perpetually pouty lips, as he crawled his way across the bed. He knelt behind her, as he brushed her hair to one shoulder. "Well, we can't have that" he sang playfully into her exposed ear as he reached for the zipper of her dress and pulled it down, exposing her smooth back. He placed feather light pecks on her warm skin. Each time he pulled away from her asking "does it itch here?" Mercedes would nod in the affirmative, gasping at how cool his lips felt on every new part of her back.

Mercedes pulled the top of her dress forward, allowing herself to slip out of it. She then slid the rest of the dress down to her feet, allowing it to crumple on the floor. She then slid in between Sam's sheets, pulling them up to the top of her bra.

Sam straddled Mercedes, his body still on top of the covers. He reached down and kissed her deeply, swirling his tongue lightly around the outside of her lips. She opened her mouth, and began to lightly suck it, pulling him into a lustful kiss. Sam moaned into her, as a sign he enjoyed the sensation. He sat up, ripping off his shirt in the process. He then began to claw at his belt buckle, and jeans, all while staring into her waiting, glazed over eyes.

She quickly reached over, hitting the lights, placing the room into darkness. The only light was the faint glare the bright, lively city, as it rushed past Sam's window. As he slid into bed, joining Mercedes, he grabbed her, pulling her body to his.

Mercedes rolled towards him, as their bodies joined orally, through a frantic kisses. He quickly reached behind her, and freed her breast. He removed her bra, tossing to the floor. He then slid his large digits down to her panties. His fingers instinctively went right to her crotch, finding her clit through a mix of cotton, and lace. He circled them around, eliciting a loud gasp from her, as the fabric collected a small pool of moisture.

Sam quickly sat up and reached over to his bed side table, and opened the top drawer as he retrieved one of his golden condoms. "Panties, loose em" he ordered, as he wiggled out of his boxers.

Mercedes complied, as she gently slid her panties off, tossing them on top of her discarded dress. Sam then crawled between her plump thighs, slightly pushing them apart, as he lined himself up with her moist opening. He wasted no time, as he quickly slid into her, filling her walls with all of him. He laid down, on top of her, kissing her urgently. She gently inhaled his lip, as he began to grind his hips into hers. "Shit, you feel good" he moaned as he stroked, slowly pumping his manhood in and out of her, now soaking slit.

He loved how she felt; however, there was one problem, he was tired of missionary. Every time they had been sexually together, he was the one on top. He was desperate to experience her at another angle. So he quickly grabbed her hip, and without pulling out, rolled her on top of him.

He slowly pushed her shoulders back, so that she would ride him, sitting straight up.

Suddenly, Mercedes body language changed. She quickly grabbed the sheet that had pooled around her hips, wrapping it around her, covering everything from her breast down to where their sex met. She stopped thrusting her hips, and her shoulders slumped, as her eyes showed obvious concern.

"Wha- what's wrong?" Sam questioned slightly exasperated from her sudden stop in movement.

"Uh, I'm not really comfortable in this position" Mercedes sighed.

"Really, why?" Sam questioned as he rolled up to his elbows. "Is it physically uncomfortable for your "lady parts"?"

"What? No!" Mercedes quickly answered. "Lady Parts? Really Sam?"

"Well, then what is it?" Sam questioned, grabbing her hips in an effort to get her to bounce up and down.

Mercedes didn't answer, but continued to dart her eyes around the room, nervously biting her bottom lip.

"Honestly" Sam sighed, reminding her of their guideline to be honest to each other.

"I don't like the angle you have." She blurted out.

" What? The angle I have?" Sam questioned making sure he heard her correctly.

"Yeah. The angle your viewing me" Mercedes clarified. "It's like Katherine Heigl said in Knocked Up. At this angle I feel all huge, and I just know your looking at my chin" she sighed. "I just feel really… exposed" she admitted while tightening the sheet around her.

Sam was at a lost for words. "You can't be serious?" He asked unable to believe what she just explained. Mercedes fell silent, not wanting to say anything else. "So let me get this straight." Sam began as she slid his back against his head board into a sitting position. "I have a sexy woman, naked on top of me. Soft thick thighs around my hips and The Hallelujah Mountains in my face, and you think I'm looking or even worried about how your chin looks?"

"Yeah, I mean -wait" Mercedes stopped flashing Sam a confused look. "The Hallelujah what?"

"The Hallelujah Mountains" He clarified. "The floating mountain range in Avatar. It's my new nickname for your breast. Because they are so large and majestic, but still manage to defy gravity. It's amazing" he said with a large grin, as he eyed her hidden breast.

Mercedes froze. Her face looked like she was going to go into a diva fit into him. Sam braced himself for a tongue lashing, which would inevitably kill the mood.

Suddenly, Mercedes burst into laughter, one that shook her whole body and, in turn, his too. She leaned forward and guffawed into his bare shoulder, shaking uncontrollably as tears fell from her eyes. The feeling of her laugher, elicited his, and before he knew it both of them was laughing hysterically.

"Oh my Gosh" Mercedes sighed as she sat back, finally composing herself. "You did not nickname my boobs after the mountains in the movie." She stated trying to catch her breath.

Sam blushed, with a shrug. "What? The name fits perfectly, you have to admit" he explained giving her an incredulous grin.

"Sam, you are such a dork" she giggled. She reached in and kissed him deeply, a thank-you for turning an extremely awkward self conscious moment, into a hilarious one, with little effort. As she pulled back from him she sighed "Now, can we please change positions?"

"Oh okay" Sam sighed, a bit disappointed, he wouldn't have the chance to feel her on top of him that night. They quickly rolled over, Sam back in the dominate position. "Better?" he asked as he hovered over her.

"Much" she sighed with a smile. She grabbed him by his neck, pulling him down to her, giving them the sensation of full skin to skin contact. She lightly lapped at his lips, talking his top one in between her teeth. She softly bit it, instantly letting it go.

Sam, enjoying the sensation, ground his pelvis against hers. He then suddenly got another idea. He sat up to a kneeling position, placing his legs on the outside of her hips, as he pulled her lower limbs closed. "Roll over on you stomach" he growled, excited by his new position.

Mercedes hesitated, wondering what was running through his head, but untimely complied. Sam sat on the back of her thighs, as he slowly kneaded her large posterior with a huge grin. He then leaned forward, placing a kiss at the base of her neck. Mercedes moaned softly, as he continued to travel down her back, planting slow, damp kisses as he went. Sam stopped when he reached the curve of her lower back. He then took his tongue and ran it back up her spine. She shuttered at the sensation, pulling the pillow she rested her head on into a large bunch under her. Sam smiled, excited by her reaction, and sat up again. Placing each hand on her ample cheeks, he lifted and separated them, revealing a secret back passage way to vaginal opening. He gently slid his member into her, groaning out loud at how much tighter she felt in the closed leg position. "FFFFUUUCCKKK!" he growled, as he penetrated her body. Using his hands on her ass for leverage, Sam slowly began to thrust in and out of her.

Mercedes buried her head into the pillows, muffling soft screams of pleasure. Sam, for a well endowed man, felt even larger in this position. As he slid out of her, it felt like she was totally empty, only to be quickly filled again. She clawed at the top of the mattress as she subconsciously attempted to scoot away from the intense pleasure. Sensing her movement, Sam moved his hand from her ass, to her hips, placing a tight grip on her to prevent her escape, while tipping them upward to allow a better angle. He began to pump harder, creating a soft slapping sound, from the jointing of their bodies, as his movements invoked more of her juices to flow. The only relief she was granted, was as she bit down on the pillow under her, releasing all of her vocal emotions into its soft material as he continued to pump her full of painful bliss. Mercedes right leg violently shook as she succumbed to the pleasure. She arched her head back, screaming "OH GOD!" before she collapsed on the bed, trembling, and giggle whimpering into the pillows.

Sam then leaned forward, pinning her arms by her wrist on the mattress, as he stretched his torso out against her back. He reached his mouth, and gently bit the top of her ear, as he sped put his hips. He animalisticly snarled his pleasure into ear, signaling he was close. As her walls clamped down onto him, for her second consecutive orgasm, Sam trusted his head up, yelling "Lu hasey!" His arms trembled as he softly lowered himself onto her back, resting his head between her shoulder blades. He nuzzled her warm skin, as he recuperated from his orgasm.

When his breathing steadied, he slowly extracting him self from her. He stretched with a smile as he placed his boxers back on his hips. He got up, and headed to the bathroom to handle some business.  
>As he made his way back to his room, Sam stopped at the kitchen, grabbing two water bottles from the refrigerator.<p>

By the time he stepped into his door way, he found Mercedes, sitting up on the side of the bed in her bra and panties, sliding her dress up her calves.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked, leaning on his doorway.

"Getting dressed" she answered in an obvious tone.

"I see that" he said walking towards her "_why_ are you getting dressed?"

"Cause you get arrested for walking the streets in your underwear" she joked.

"It's too late for you to be going home" Sam stated as he quickly glanced to see his clock read 2:17am. "You're staying the night" he announced.

"You've left my place later" Mercedes sighed

"Okay and?" Sam responded placing the water bottles on the bed side table on her side of the bed. "I can also easily fight off an attacker"

"Don't start this" Mercedes sighed not wanting to blow her post sex buzz. "I've traveled these streets alone later than this, before you ever moved here Memphis. I'll be fine" she announced as she proceeded to pull up her dress.

Quickly Sam snatched her dress down her legs, off of her feet.

"Hey! What the hell Sam!" She yelled as she lost her grip on her clothing.

"Look I get it, your Mercedes Jones, not scared of anything, gone home later, yata yata yata. But you're at my place now, and you're staying the night. I feel better knowing your safe here with me" Sam authoritatively explained as he tossed her clothing over his drafting chair. "I get up every morning at 6:30, I'll wake you then, but right now you're sleeping here."

Mercedes rolled her eyes with a huff. "Fine" she relented as she folded her arms.

Sam walked over to the table, grabbing the water bottles, offering one to her. She quickly snatched it from his hand, while giving him a death glare. He smirked at her face, unphased at her obvious attitude.

Mercedes looked around, attempting to get use to the idea of her impromptu sleepover. "Well, if I have to stay here, can I at least have something to sleep in?" She questioned her host.

Sam smirked as he quickly rummaged through his dresser. He grabbed an oversized t-shirt and tossed it to her. "Here you go _dahlin_" he drawled, allowing his southern accent to push through. Mercedes fought a smile, wanting to be upset to him, but enjoying the sound of his home state accent.

She quickly threw on his shirt, and adjusted the pillows on her side of the bed. She pulled the covers back, and laid down beside the already comfortable Sam. He then reached over to his bedside table and hit a switch on a little white box. Suddenly, the room was filled with the sound of crickets and other nocturnal insects.

"What. Is. This?" Mercedes questioned

"It's my noise canceling machine" Sam explained. "I can't really sleep well without the sound of a Memphis night in my room, and this is the closest thing I can get to it"

"So you can't sleep unless you listen to bugs? That's what you're telling me?" She questioned with a chuckle.

"Hey, these bugs sound harsh compared to the ones at home, I will admit. The ones at home are much more soothing. But, anything is better than all of the noise from the traffic and people." Sam shrugged.

"Whatever Memphis" she sighed, too tired to argue. "Can you at least turn it down a bit?"

Sam reached over to his machine, and turned it to the lowest noise setting. He then reached over, nuzzling his nose into her neck. "See, you were trying to leave, I didn't even get my cuddle time yet" he sighed.

"So that's why you wanted me to stay?" She chuckled. "Not to keep me safe, but to cuddle?"

"No" Sam grinned "I wanted you safe, but you are the best cuddler" he nuzzled farther into her neck, tickling her with his nose. Mercedes laughed, lightly swatting his arm.

About three minutes into their cuddling, Mercedes was fast asleep. Sam, dozing, ended up cuddling her for seven minutes, two minutes over his normal time.

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><p>The bright sun shining into Sam's window was Mercedes wakeup call. She sat up in bed to find herself alone. She looked over to his bed side clock and read 7:10am. Mercedes stretched, as she stood up from her nights sleep. She then heard the sound of rustling from the kitchen. Bare foot, she tip-toed towards the sound of, what she assumed was cooking. She found a shirt less Sam, in pajama pants preparing breakfast.<p>

"What time did you get up?" Mercedes questioned with a bit of grit in her voice.

"Well good mornin" Sam drawled, hoping to charm the obviously cranky, adorable diva in his t-shirt. "I got up at 6:30 like always"

"Why didn't you wake me?" she huffed slightly irritated despite the fact she was enjoying the view of a topless Sam working his way through the kitchen.

"Because when I got up, you looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you." He explained as he flipped the silver dollar pancakes in front of him. "Plus, I owe you breakfast. You know how you made me some that morning. Just returning the favor" he grinned.

Mercedes pressed her lips tight, fighting to keep from smiling back at him. "That's sweet" she sighed "but I wish you would've woken me. I have to leave before Finn gets back and finds me. Plus I have to shower and get dressed for work."

"Well, Finn isn't normally back from Rachel's any time before ten" Sam explained as he made her a plate of eggs, pancakes, and bacon. "And you have plenty of time to eat, get home, get dressed and head out to work" he smiled as he set a place at the breakfast bar with a smile. "So please sit and eat"

Mercedes sighed, sitting down to the plate of food prepared for her. She looked up to a smiling Sam, satisfied that he had gotten his way. "It's pretty good" Mercedes said lightly as she sampled his eggs.

"Thanks. I normally cook for my family, so I've had plenty of practice" Sam explained as he went back to managing the stove top.

"You have a big family?" Mercedes questioned noticing that she didn't really know about his life before he left home.

"No, just a baby sister, and brother" Sam shrugged. "Well, not babies anymore I guess" he corrected himself.

"Oh, how old are they?" Mercedes asked as she bit into her bacon.

"Uh" Sam hesitated, then faced Mercedes, who was patiently waiting on an answer. "Well Steven is 13 now, and Stacie turned 11 in April"

"No, not babies at all" Mercedes chuckled.

Suddenly, the sound of keys rustling in the lock caught both of their attention. "Shit!" Mercedes whispered. She was eating breakfast, in Finn and Sam's apartment, early in the morning in nothing but a t-shirt. If that didn't tip Finn off to her and Sam's arrangement nothing would. "Pants" she whispered to Sam in a panicked tone.

"In my room" he nodded nonchalantly. "Grab any of my sweats"

Mercedes quickly hopped out of the chair and lightly tipped into Sam's room to get a pair of bottoms. By the time Finn was in the door, she had grabbed a pair of Hollister sweats from his room and was walking back to her plate.

"Ugh I just can't!" Finn huffed as he stalked into the apartment to find Sam cooking and Mercedes grinning at him wildly.

"Hey!" she said in an over enthusiastic loud, slightly shrill tone, causing both Sam and Finn to look at her with wide eyes.

"Uh, hey 'Cede" Finn said with his patented confused look "what are you doing here so early?'

"Uh, I uh" she stammered wishing she had taken the time in the room to think of a lie.

"She spent the night" Sam answered as he began to fix Finn a plate. Mercedes shot him a look that implied she could throttle him at that moment.

"Really, _why_?" Finn asked slowly, unsure if he was ready to hear the explanation.

"Her landlord told her he had to turn her air off, and it would be off all night" Sam said while shrugging only his left shoulder. "So I offered she stay here so she wouldn't have to sleep in the heat"

Mercedes watched him in amazement, noticing his cool and calm demeanor as he lied. She then looked to Finn who was looking at her for confirmation. She quickly nodded, agreeing with Sam.

"So, I offered my bed, while I took the couch for the night" Sam continued, shrugging his left shoulder again.

"Do I need to go talk to your landlord for you?" Finn questioned in an almost paternal tone to Mercedes.

"Oh no Finny" she smiled, genuinely appreciative of how protective her friend was of her. "He promised it would be on by the morning. In fact it should be on now"

"Yeah, she was just heading back, but I wanted to make sure she went with a full stomach." Sam stated as he placed a plate down for Finn. "Hungry?" he asked his tall roommate knowing the answer was always yes.

"Sure" Finn smiled as he sat down to his plate, quickly moving on from the duo's lie.

"You're back early. Something happen?" Sam questioned Finn, as he motioned for Mercedes to finish her plate. She complied quietly, taking a seat next to Finn.

"Ugh" Finn sighed as he cut into one of his pancakes. "Yeah, Rachel and I had a fight this morning, because I always have to attend her theater people function. And when I pointed it out, I all of a sudden not supportive of "her dream""

"Wow man" Sam sighed looking over to Mercedes "sounds rough. I take it last night didn't go well?"

"No. she said she was totally embarrassed by my answer when everyone was saying who made some of the best music ever. They were all saying like show tunes and stuff and when I said Journey, the room went silent and they looked at me like they were villagers and I was a giant there to grind their bones into bread" Finn shrugged as he shoveled his food into his mouth. "She quickly tried to explain it away like I was joking"

"Oh Finny" Mercedes soothed as she rubbed his back "Its okay"

"Yeah I know" he shrugged. "That's what stared the whole fight this morning. I just need a break from her for a while"

"Well, me and you tonight, we'll hit up a few bars and help you unwind" Sam smiled patting his friend on the shoulder.

"Cool" Finn smiled "You coming 'Cede?"

"Uh no" she smiled "I'll sit this one out, and catch up on my sleep" she looked at Sam who teasingly winked at her. She playfully rolled her eyes at him in reply.

The trio finished breakfast, discussing group matters, and Mercedes headed home to shower and dress for work.

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><p><strong>Lu hasey= it is finished.<strong>

**So okay. In my own little personal head canon, Sam has named his favorite parts of Mercedes body. So yes, you can expect to see him call her breast The Hallelujah Mountains in some of my other writings. No, I regret not a damn thing about it. And Yes, he has a name for her ass, BUT you will find that out later in the story. ;0) **


	13. Chapter 13: A Night In and Out

**Hi . As always I want to say thanks for following and favorites of this story and me as a writer. I've been getting them although I haven't updated in a while (seems like forever) And to my amazing, awsome and silly reviewers (whom I adore so much) thanks because your reviews I know I'm not completely nuts for having Sam name her boobs (I can admit I am a bit nuts but not totally crazy lol) And you know what DontWorryBeHappy1996 I never thought about the possible pain Sam can feel by cooking bacon shirtless. I'm alway fully dressed when I cook it and I still suffer popping grease burns. LOL but still there is still some part of me that loves a shirt less man making breakfast (I mean who doesn't love that lol). And no ramen-is-my-drug I don't judge about your withdrawal. I think we are all going a little nuts waiting this long ass break out. *Sighs***

**So I know it has been a while since I have updated this story. I have been working on updates for some of my other mental musings on this site but I have been working on updates for this one too. This current chapter is a light a fun one. Okay I'm shutting up now cause I'm rambling (But what else is new)**

**So as always: Read, Enjoy, and review.**

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><p><em><strong>A Night In and Out…<strong>_

"Who wants another Mimosa sunrise?" Mercedes sang as she gently set the tray of Champaign flutes filled with alcohol on her coffee table. Instantly everyone had a glass in their hand, clearing the tray. It was Girls Nights, a monthly ritual the women and Kurt in their group shared. The second Friday of the month was reserved for all of them to gather and gossip, giggle, and blow off steam without the guys in tow. A different person each month hosted the get together, with different themes. This month was Mercedes turn with a spa theme. The girls and Kurt took turns giving each other facials, painting each other's nails, and different beauty tips. On the television played the movie Valentines Day, as the group relaxed and drank. Mercedes quickly checked the snack tray making sure it had enough of everyone's favorites which included bacon wrapped green beans for Quinn, bread sticks and cheese for Brittney and Santana, and humus with gluten free bread chips for Rachel.

Seeing that everything was still pretty well stocked she returned to her seat on the couch, waddling due to the toe separators, protecting the petti she just gotten from Santana. Quinn quickly snuggled next to Mercedes side, gently placing her feet into Rachel's lap to finish her top coat. Kurt diligently worked on shaping Sugar's finger nails, as Tina finished placing a home made cucumber and honey facial mask on Santana who was getting her hair gently brushed by Britney.

"These are great drinks" Sugar giggled taking another sip.

"Yeah" Brittney agreed quickly adding "Lord Tubbington is really enjoying these" as she poured half of her flute into a blue water dish. Suddenly the portly feline lumbered from behind the chair she occupied over to the dish to partake of his drink.

"Yeah, well he can enjoy it all he wants, you just make sure he uses that portable kitty litter box you brought with him" Mercedes sighed. "Last time I found little surprises in my garden"

"Oh, well that was because he had too much to drink last time" Brittney sighed. She quickly reached down covering the cat's ears before adding "He can be sort of a mean drunk. So I have to monitor his intake tonight"

Mercedes silently shook her head at the blonde and sighed.

"Thanks guys for inviting me tonight" Sugar smiled. It was her first official girl's night with the group.

The room silently nodded.

"Whatever Splenda" Santana huffed, speaking only through parsed lips so her slowly drying mask wouldn't crack "Tina hand me one of those breadsticks"

"I must say though" Rachel sighed as she stretched her legs to gaze at her toes, freshly painted I'm not a Waitress "this is very relaxing, just hanging out here with you girls. And Kurt of course" she shot a smile towards him. He nodded slightly and went back to work on Sugars nails.

"Finn still not speaking to you?" Quinn questioned noticing a tinge of loneliness in Rachel's voice.

"No, not yet, but he will soon. He just has to-"

"Get over the fact that you practically said you're embarrassed by him" Kurt sighed.

"I didn't say it like that Kurt. It's just his answer was-"

"Too him?" Mercedes questioned

"No!" Rachel sighed wishing they would allow her to finish. "I just wish he didn't see my events as so… pretentious"

"But Rachel, they are pretentious" Quinn sighed.

"No they are… a bit ostentatious, but not pretentious" Rachel corrected.

"No that one was very pretentious" Kurt chimed in "And you practically publicly castrated him for his answer"

"Okay one that is a bit dramatic Kurt" Rachel defended herself "And two that answer was ridiculous. I mean come on Journey?"

"Is who Finn likes" Quinn answered "And if you want to change his behavior yelling at him or over reacting to his missteps is not the way to go about it."

"What are you talking about?" Rachel quizzed, turning towards Quinn "You and Noah argue all the time"

"Yes but that is because of his personality make up. Noah is constantly seeking to be the Alpha male in any situation and at time requires a jolt, in some situations yelling, to pull him back into an expectable behavioral patter. Finn, although he likes to be the alpha male, due to his personality simply needs simple explanations of why his behavior is unacceptable and he will most likely step right into line"

"And here comes the psyche major" Mercedes joked sarcastically rolling her eyes.

"Joke all you want but I am absolutely right" Quinn defended "When I yell, I remind Noah subconsciously of his mother, due to her child rearing tactics. He listens and responds better to loud harsh vocal tones. While with Finn, his mother obviously talked in more even tones, and it worked for him. Try it"

"Okay, yell, scream, throw food at him, this whole conversation is totally killing my alcohol buzz" Santana sighed reaching for her glass. "Subject change, now"

"Fine" Rachel sighed "You know I'm surprised you guys are even talking so calmly about this, considering the way I was introduced to all of you"

"Oh gosh" Mercedes sighed rolling her eyes "You are never going to let that go are you?"

"Let what go?" Sugar questioned

"The fact that you guy practically physically threatened me when I first met you?" Rachel continued "I'm amazed we became friends at all"

"Okay first of all, it was just me" Mercedes sat up slightly as to not jar Quinn too much "And it wasn't that bad. You just over reacted as usual"

"What happened?" Sugar looked around wide eyed.

"Well Truvia, Rachel is still bitching about her confrontation with Mercedes, when she first started dating Finn the jolly Journey singing giant" Santana sighed. "I can't believe how shook she had you that you are still talking about after all these years"

"Mercedes was very intimidating, and I didn't know when I started dating Finn I would end up dating all of his childhood friends" Rachel explained. "Family I was ready for"

"Yeah, and then you go and try to snitch on me to Mama Carol" Mercedes huffed at she tossed a small decorative pillow at Rachel.

"Really that was the kicker" Kurt laughed.

"What, she needed to know that Mercedes threatened her possible daughter-in-law. Or at the very least she had a possible crush on her son"

"Which we all know I don't, but yes I am very protective of him, just like Kurt who would have been right next to me cheering me on and co-signing everything I said" Mercedes explained to Sugar. "And Carol knows this. That's why she sent me a thank-you cake in the mail the week after" she giggled.

"What? She sent you a cake?" Rachel sat up surprised.-

"Yep" Mercedes laughed "For protecting her baby boy"

"And what are you bitching about Barbra" Santana huffed with an eye roll "Q here got it way worse then you did"

"Really" Quinn agreed "All you got was Mercedes. I got her Tina _and_ Santana"

"Really?" Sugar said shocked "What did you do"

"Handled herself like a champ" Mercedes smiled "That's when we all started to like her"

"Yeah" Tina agreed "She sat down listened to us and at the end she stood up, smoothed out her skirt, said "Okay" and asked us out for drinks" she giggled.

"Yep, and we bonded that night" Mercedes smiled snuggling the blonde "You were just too scary Rachel"

"Really, I mean you had the girls. Think of what Blaine went through with the guys" Kurt sighed

"Oh I know what Blaine when through" Tina giggled "but I promised Mike I would never tell _you_"

Santana stood as she headed to the kitchen to wash the mask off of her face yelling back to the room "Brittney you never did tell me what the girls did to you" The water began to run, as Santana began to clean her face.

The room fell quiet as she said that, as all of them looked about to each other.

Brittney reached over, and picked up Lord Tubbington who was munching on one of his many cheese cubes. "I never got one" she shrugged nonchalantly.

"What?" Santana yelled, shutting off the water, as she dried her face.

"I never got one" she repeated.

"You guys didn't confront Brittney?" Santana questioned the rest of the room when she walked back in. They all looked around at each other, exchanging guilty glances, except for Sugar who walked past Santana to wash the nail shavings off of her hands.

"Well, we were going to" Mercedes began.

"But we found it best not to" Tina finished.

"What, why?" the Latina huffed.

"Well because, we trust Brittney" Quinn answered "and we figured-"

"We figured if she is willing to put up with your mood swings and smart mouth we should enable her, not scare her" Kurt said bluntly. "Really Satan, we know how I feel about religion but even _I _wanted to equip her with a vile of holy water, a crucifix, and tell her God speed dealing with you"

Santana folded her arms and glared at Kurt.

"It just means we know that Brittney will never do anything on purpose to hurt you" Mercedes smoothed over. "We know we can trust her with your heart"

"Well I never got one either" Sugar came back into the den, grinning widely "So that means you guys trust me with Artie, right?" Her smile was met with icy cold stares. The whole room fell silent as they all glared at the petite brunette. Even Rachel put on her best intimidating face as Kurt paused the movie.

Santana smirked asking one question: "Why do you think you're here?"

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><p><strong>Meanwhile across town…<strong>

Blaine walked into the crowed bar, exhausted. He spotted Finn as Mike waved him over the table the guys where seated.

"Hey" he sighed quickly greeting everyone.

"Hey man, you look beat" Artie observed as Blaine plopped down in a seat across from him.

"Thanks for meeting us after your show" Finn smiled, patting Blaine on the shoulder. "I know you must be exhausted"

"And thanks for picking up the next round of drinks" Noah chimed as all of the guys including Sam quickly yelled "Not it!" touching their fingers to their noses. Blaine sighed as he rolled his eyes. He called the waitress over and ordered a whiskey neat and another round of whatever else everyone was drinking.

The guys, decided to have their own little outing, since all of their women and Kurt, where preoccupied for the night.

"You look like how I imagine Sugar's going to look after the girls and Kurt are done with her tonight" Mike chuckled.

"What? They're doing that tonight?" Artie panicked as he quickly pulled out his cell phone to warn his girlfriend. As he was staring at the screen, Puck quickly snatched his phone away shaking his head. "Puck!"

"No, no, no R2D2, she'll be fine. Hell, they're probably in the middle of it right now" Noah reasoned.

"But she needs to be warned" Artie wined reaching for his phone.

"Warned about what" Sam questioned, a little concerned by Artie's nervous reaction.

"About the girls grilling her tonight" Mike waived off.

"Yeah see, whenever any of us gets a new relationship, we allow the person to hang around for a couple of months. If we see that they are getting serious, the rest of the group grills them to ensure that are just as serious, and two that if they do anything to hurt our loved one we will not hesitate to lay the smack down on them." Noah explained.

"Sugar is probably getting threatened by Santana's hair blade right now" Mike shrugged smiling at the shade of green Artie turned at the thought.

"Yeah, they all go through it, right Blaine?" Noah smiled to the curly head brunette across from him.

"The girls grilled you too?" Sam asked.

"He wishes" Noah laughed

"No, it was these guys" Blaine sighed as he rolled his eyes. "They basically promised to Nair my entire body including my eyebrows if I ever break Kurt's heart, that and burn all of my clothes, including my bowtie collection. And that was the tame stuff"

"Hey Kurt's my brother" Finn explained "I'm going to be protective of him"

"And that promise still stands, remember that" Noah reminded Blaine.

"But after that, we welcome the person into our little family" Mike smiled attempting to clean everything up, patting Blaine on the shoulder.

"Yeah, they just need to know that we are serious about protecting each other." Noah sighed

"But Sugar is sensitive, and scary" Artie sighed, his mind still across town to his girlfriend.

"Oh I'm sure she'll be fine. Hell she might even turn out like Quinn's." Noah rolled his eyes

"What happened with Quinn?" Sam questioned intrigued by just how protective they all were of each other.

"In college, during one of our breaks, the first break you brought Quinn home I think" Mike recalled, and was met with a silent nod from Noah "Tina, Mercedes and Santana got together and confronted Quinn. Well it backfired, they went out drinking and the next thing he knew, Noah was being confronted by the girls the next day. He was told if he ever hurt Quinn that they would do some unspeakable things to his "life long little buddy"" Mike laughed as he pointed to his crotch.

Noah shook his head "Ain't that a bitch? I mean why couldn't she be like Berry and cry to my mommy? But no she had to instantly bond with them and turn them against me"

"It's the psyche degree I'm telling you" Mike laughed

"I feel sorry for whoever gets serious with Mercedes" Finn sighed, causing Sam to slightly choke on his bourbon.

"Wh-why?" Sam coughed out

"That guy will not only get us grilling him, I'm sure Santana and the girls will have a few choice words for him too" Mike laughed. The rest of the guy's, even Blaine, chuckled a bit.

Sam sat silently as he looked at all of their faces. "How did Shane take it?"

"We knew she and Shane wasn't going to last" Artie waved off.

"How could you know that?" Sam implored, taking a mental note not to sound so eager for answers.

"There was just something about when the two of them where together that wasn't… right" Finn shrugged.

"Yeah" Noah agreed "We knew he wasn't right for Snuggie"

"Snuggie?" Sam questioned raising his eyebrow

"Oh yeah" Noah laughed "All of them have nicknames we gave them. Of course they don't know about them"

"Yeah" Artie agreed "Mercedes is Snuggie because she gives the best hugs."

"And she's the best to snuggle up to" Noah added causing Sam to chuckle to himself as he remembered he's told her earlier in the week she was such a good cuddler. "What?" Noah questioned his brows furrowed tightly.

"Oh, oh nothing" Sam quickly answered shrugging his left shoulder "It's just cute that's all. Ah, what's Tina's?"

The guys at the table laughed except for Mike who glared at all of them, causing them to laugh even harder. "Who Wolverine?" Artie laughed

"Hey guys" Mike sighed "Come on"

"What?" Artie laughed as he dodged the napkin thrown by Mike.

"Wolverine? Like the comic?" Sam questioned happy he was able to deflect off of Mercedes "Why Wolverine?"

"Oh I got this one" Noah laughed as he looked at Mike who didn't seem amused at all. "So the summer of our junior year of college, we all went on a trip together to Miami. Well after the first night, Mike chose to spend the rest of his beach time in a t-shirt. On about the third day we all had to ask why. He refused to answer so we wrestled him down and got off his shirt to find out what he was hiding. Dude had nail and bite marks all over his back and chest. Like Tina tried to maul him" Noah laughed loudly. "That's when we all found out our little quiet, and sweet Tina is quite the beast if you "hit the right button". From that day on she has been Wolverine"

"It's always the quiet ones" Artie sighed as he shook his head.

"Okay guys okay" Mike sighed "And yeah let's talk about Icy Hot?"

"Hey I'm fine with Q's nickname" Noah shrugged

"So I take it Quinn is "Icy Hot"?" Sam questioned.

"Yeah" Artie smiled "Because lets be honest she gives a guy an IVB when you first meet her"

"IVB?" Sam shrugged seeing he not only had nicknames but abbreviations to learn

"Instant Visual Boner" Artie clarified. "But that girl can totally shrink it back down instantly with a look or her psychoanalysis of you and your childhood issues." Artie sighed as he shuddered at the thought.

"Hey not me" Noah shrugged "It turns me on more" he smiled adding "It's like foreplay"

"Oh" Sam shrugged "And Santana is"

"The mouth" the whole table sighed

"Because of how she talks to people" Sam smiled convinced that was the easiest to figure out.

"Hell no" Artie laughed "Because she is the best kisser"

Sam looked around the table of men confused. "But she's a-"

"She wasn't always" Noah smiled "Even though we should have been able to tell. But the sheer amount of disgust and lust she kisses you with is amazing"

"And don't forget she can roll her R's" Mike added while gazing off, caught in a flashback.

"So you've all kissed her? Sam asked in disbelief

"She was my first time" Finn smirked.

"She wasn't my first time" Noah laughed.

"Kissed her my sophomore year of high school, _before_ I got with Tina" Mike smiled

"Drunken game of spin the bottle one holiday break" Artie confessed

"Same here" Blaine smiled in agreement.

"You too?" Sam questioned Blaine astonished and even more confused.

Noah laughed as Blaine's cheeks began to redden "Yeah and he even had to agree she's an amazing kisser, and he's dating King Midas"

"King Midas?" Sam questioned

"Yep, that's Kurt's nickname" Finn waived off

"Okay. _Why_?"

"Well" Artie sighed "when we were in high school we weren't popular to say the least"

"Hey I was sex god even back then" Noah interrupted "Speak for yourself"

"Anyway" Artie continued "Some kids in school use to do this thing where they would throw slushies at people. Well if any of us got one, Kurt would take us in the guy's locker room and shampoo our hair."

"That's when we found out his hands were like magic" Mike sighed.

"Yeah" Noah agreed "Like I'm a dude who loves and respects chicks and everything. But his hands are amazing"

"I feel asleep once" Artie admitted

"He's that good?" Sam questioned.

"Let me put it like this. Quinn has hinted on more than one occasion that if he ever decided to play for the other team, even for a day, I'm single" Noah sighed. "They're that good"

"Not just for shampooing either" Blaine smiled deviously as his drink washed over him.

"DUDE! What don't you understand about 'brother'" Finn yelled covering his ears.

"Can he teach Sugar?" Artie quickly questioned.

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><p><strong>Back at Mercedes…<strong>

"So listen Sweet and Slow, you better treat him right" Santana snarled close to Sugars shocked and fearful face. "Because everything I just promised would happen to you will be headed your way. And if you ever doubt how serious I am, just remember that you almost lost that right hand of yours to a fork, and I wasn't even angry with you then"

Sugar shuddered as she rubbed her right hand with her left over the area that Santana narrowly missed with the utensil. She watched with wide and terrified eyes as Santana reclaimed her seat on the floor, in front of Brittney.

"So are we clear?" Kurt questioned the silent brunette. She slowly shook her head up in down, as she scanned the room. "Good" he instantly perked up with a smile "Now get back over here so I can finish your nails"

Sugar slowly rose from her spot from the corner she was backed into by the rest of the people in the room. She walked slowly over to Kurt who gently took her hand smiling like nothing had ever happened. The rest of the room took their positions back in the room. The movie was unpaused, and order was restored in the apartment.

"Now that that is out of the way" Quinn sighed as she snuggled back onto Mercedes "What are you going to do about Finn, Voice?" the rest of the room giggled at the use of Rachel's nickname. Sugar shot the group a confused look, however did not ask any questions for fear of another verbal attack.

"It's her nickname from the guys" Tina soothed noticing the look on Sugars face. "We all have one, although they swear we don't know about them" she huffed with an eye roll. "Rachel is the voice because they think she is pleasant enough until she opens her mouth" Tina chuckled. Rachel rolled her eyes and huffed at the explanation.

"Some of them are true" Santana smiled.

"Well of course you like yours" Rachel shot "I mean they consider you the best kisser, Mercedes the best body to snuggle to, and Quinn physically attractive. Me? They say I'm annoying"

"Not you, just your voice and whenever you open your pie hole to talk" Santana smiled. "And Mercedes is the best body to snuggle to. In fact move it Blondie" she huffed to Quinn. She was met by an icy glare from her green eyes. "And Quinn can kill any boner with a look. Even lady wood." Santana quipped.

"What's yours Tina?" Sugar questioned in a little voice, testing the waters if it was okay to speak again.

"Wolverine" the room answered laughing loudly. Tina blushed rolling her eyes.

"Mine is exaggerated" Tina explained.

"No, you tried to maul that boy" Santana joked. "Mike must be able to crack a back in the sack" she smirked under her breath. Her statement was met by a coy wink by Tina indicating that she was correct.

"And Kurt's is defiantly true" Quinn smiled quickly adding "Speaking of, when's the next time you can wash my hair?"

"Next week?" Kurt smiled. Quinn smiled back and nodded her head in excitement.

"All of your men are crazy" Mercedes sighed as she headed back to the kitchen.

"I wonder who Sam will bring into the fold?" Rachel questioned mindlessly.

"What? Why?" Mercedes quickly questioned turning around.

"Oh well, I haven't heard of him going on any dates" Rachel shrugged. "Whenever I talked to Finn, he's sitting at home sketching. I just wonder what his type is"

"Yeah, you spend the most time with him Mercedes" Tina chimed in "Is he dating?"

"How would I know?" Mercedes questioned sounding defensive. She quickly checked her tone adding "We don't talk much about his personal life" in a softer voice.

"Well I hope she's not a bimbo whoever she is" Santana sighed "because you know how well I deal with those"

"Yeah" Kurt agreed shuttering at the thought of an annoying new addition to their group. "And when by the way, speaking of new people, Ms. Jones are you going to start dating again?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah Mercedes" Tina agreed "You haven't been out on a date in a long time. What gives?"

Mercedes hands began to sweat as her mind raced for an explanation. "I'm just not in the mood to try with someone new" she waived off as she walked to the kitchen to make another round of drinks and to get out of the line of fire.

"Well you can't shut yourself off from dating forever" Quinn yelled to her back. "You've been single now for three months. I know Shane hurt you but don't you think its time to get back on the horse?"

"And by horse she means its time for _you_ to get _your_ back cracked" Santana joked.

Quinn pressed her lips together adding "That's not what I mean"

"Well its what I mean" Santana chuckled.

Mercedes smiled to herself as she buried her head in her fridge for the orange juice, Champaign, and grenadine. If they only knew she thought to herself.

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><p><strong>Back at the Bar…<strong>

"How about her?" Noah questioned nodding towards a leggy red head at the bar. The table all focused in the direction he was focused on. "She's cute"

"Not my type" Sam shrugged off taking another sip of his drink.

"Come on dude" Noah sighed in frustration "Every girl I've pointed out hasn't been your type. What fun is hanging with a single guy, if you can't play wing man for him and watch him at least hit on girls?"

"Why is it so important I talk to a girl?' Sam questioned

"Because you haven't even tried" Noah huffed. "And the fun of having single friends it to live vicariously through their free sexual experiences, but you suck at it"

"Yeah dude" Finn added. "You haven't been on any dates since you've moved here. All you do is hang out with Mercedes"

The rest of the table turned to the blonde realizing that Finn was correct. All of his free time had been spent with their friend. "Is something going on with you two?" Artie questioned, leaning in towards Sam.

"What? NO!" Sam waived off shrugging his left shoulder. "We're just friends. She is helping me get used to the city and learn my way around that's all. Plus I've been really focused on getting my comic off the ground. I have a presentation coming up soon, and everything has to be perfect if I'm going to get them to publish it. So I just don't have time for dating right now."

The table all eyed Sam as he played cool and calm. He had nothing to hide. He and Mercedes were just friends. They were just friends who happened to see each other naked often.

"Well you can't just hang around her" Mike added after a moment. "You not only cock block her, you're blocking yourself"

"Yeah a lady is not going to like you spending all of your free time with another chick, even if she is just a friend" Noah agreed. "If you really _are _into girls"

"I'm not gay" Sam sighed "Not that there is anything wrong with it" he quickly added to Blaine. "It's just I'm not"

"Well we need to get you into the dating scene" Artie smiled.

Suddenly Artie's phone went off signifying he had a text message. He made a grabbing gesture towards Puck who handed him his phone. He quickly read and smiled. "It's Sugar. She said she's headed home. I gotta go guys"

Suddenly Finn's phone went off. He opened it and read a text from Rachel requesting he meet her at her apartment. "Yeah, that's Rach. I gotta go" He sighed.

"Good luck with the Voice" Noah joked. He was met with an eye roll from Finn. One by one the other three got messages from their significant other's that they were headed home, relaxed and liquored up.

As the guys where saying their good byes, Sam's phone buzzed. He opened it quickly reading:

_Girls are gone, I'm tipsy, and I feel like playing a pick up game ;-)_

He smirked while quickly sending back:

_Be there to scratch your back in 20_

"Who was that?" Artie questioned after noticing the smile on Sam's face.

Sam looked up to find the other guys all looking at him intensely. "Oh. Uh it's my mom" Sam quickly said shrugging off their looks with his left shoulder.

"It's your mom? She's messaging you at 2:00 in the morning?" Noah questioned.

"Oh ugh yeah" Sam stammered "She's an insomniac so she some times just… messages me at weird times of the night"

"We need to get you laid and fast" Puck sighed as he turned to leave adding "You're turning into a mama's boy"

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><p><strong>So in my little head canon I have this thing where Santana refuses to call Sugar by her correct name. In fact she calls her all other artificial sweetners. I don't know why I have that in my head but now its stuck and won't leave. <strong>

**Aaahhh, nothing like a good girls night in. I love just hanging around in a home setting with my girls and drinks. Its much more relaxed then heading out but that's just me (I'm very much a home body). **


	14. Chapter 14:Red Handed

**Hi. I want to start with a thanks to everyone who follows and faved this story, and me as a writer. It's always nice to get thoes alerts.(makes me smile).**

**And to my reviewer, thanks so much for your input and insight into the story. You guys rock! I was so happy you guys liked the nicknames. And I like the ideal of an undercover freaky Tina and Kurt. LOL. It just makes me giggle. So many of you asked "When will they get caught? They can't go on like this forever!" So please take note of the title of the chapter LOL. And with that I'll shut my pie hole and let you read.**

**As always: Read, Enjoy, and Review... ;0)**

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><p><em><strong>Red Handed<strong>_

"Oh Sam!" Mercedes whimpered as his hand wrapped around her waist up to her bare breast, sliding down to pull her taught, erect nipple. Her voluptuous thigh was thrown carelessly forward as he pushed his manhood upward, hitting her spot from behind. He gently bit her ear as he whispered "damn you're so wet"

Mercedes bit her lip as her eyes rolled in the back of her head as the head of his manhood gently glided against her spot. She moaned in pleasure as she felt his hand roughly massage her breast, as he lightly bit her neck.

Sam stopped by after the New Direction's Sunday rehearsal to go over some songs. However, practice turned into kissing and kissing led to him taking her from behind as they lay on their side, in her bed. They became so entranced by their physical act it was as if they were encased within their own little sex bubble.

"How does this feel?" Mercedes purred as she rolled her hips back and forth to the beat of his thrust.

Sam bit his lip at her movements allowing "siltsan" to slip from his lips in a snarl.

"Was that Na'vi?" Mercedes paused at the sound of the foreign alien language.

"Yeah, why?" Sam questioned surprised at her reaction to hearing it, as if was her first time.

"Already?" she sighed looking in the general direction of his crotch with a bit of disappointment. She quickly added "I mean its okay, it happens to every guy sooner or later. And this is a new position for both of us"

Sam made a face as he was trying to understand what she was talking about. He thought quietly as he considered her words of condolence. Then it hit him. He quickly pulled back, sliding his still very erect manhood out of her. Then, gripping her hip with his free hand, he forcefully trusted all of himself into her, physically showing her he was no where through with her yet. "Trust me" he growled while deep inside of her "I'm far from done"

Mercedes gripped the pillow under her as she took all of him in one swoop. She bit her lip as a deep and shocked moan seeped from her lungs. Sam continued to plunge into her, his pace picking up. He slid the fingers from his free hand down to her clit, gently began to massage it, causing Mercedes to drip even more. Mercedes wrapped her hand around the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair. Turning her head, as she pulled his closer to her face, kissing Sam deeply, as a whine vibrated through her chest, out of her lips, into him. They were so consumed by their pick up game they totally missed the sound of the locks on the front door being unlocked.

"Deeper" Mercedes moaned as she pushed her leg farther forward allowing him even better access.

Thinking he could do her one better, Sam flipped Mercedes over on to her stomach, gruffly tilting her hips skyward as her upper body stayed planted against the mattress. Mercedes shifts the weight in her hips back onto an unsuspecting roll against Sam, throwing him off.

"Damn Mercedes!" he moans as he quickly thrust, as he grips her hips tightly. The feeling of her drenched slit thrusting against him caused him to grit his teeth as he gave into his urges and began pumping furiously, creating a slapping sound between his hip and her ample behind. They both moan loudly, coming simultaneously, Mercedes whimpering rapidly, in her giggling tone, as her thigh vibrated struggling to hold her up. Sam allowing the after shocks of her orgasmic walls to pass through him, before slowly extracting himself from her after exclaiming "Augia lolu!" The room fell silent as they allowed the glow of sex to settle over them.

"MERCEDES!" A very familiar voice calls from Mercedes freshly opened bedroom door.

"Mamma!" Mercedes shrieks attempting to cover her self, knocking Sam over, as she grabbed for her sheets.

"Mama?" Sam questions shocked as he quickly turns around in enough time to see a woman turn hastily closing the door behind her. "As in your mother?"

"Oh My God!" Mercedes recoils in embarrassment as she curls into the fetal, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Wait so that was your mother?" Sam asks still in shock.

His question wakes Mercedes from her temporary state of shock. She quickly jumps up from her spot on the bed yelling "Get dressed!" She hastily grabs a large, floor length caftan near her bed, tossing it over her nude body. Sam quickly springs into action, grabbing his under wear, swiftly pulling them up around his hips. He has his jeans up by the time Mercedes opens her bed room door. Her mother turns around with a look as embarrassed as her daughter's.

"Mama, what are you doing here?" Mercedes questions, as a beautiful middle aged woman turned to face her. Her hair was in a jet black bob, peppered with silver. She was the same deep brown color as Mercedes, with the same almond shaped eyes, but hers were a caramel color. She was well dressed in cream colored slacks, and a pale pink silk blouse with a lose bow at the top.

"Well I was in the city so I thought I'd surprise you" the older woman explained as she stepped into the room. "I didn't think you would be" she clears her throat before placing air quotes around the word "busy" Her mother turns her attention to the topless male in the room who nervously has his hands over his crotch to hide the fact that his jeans, though on, are not zipped or buttoned.

"And you don't call or knock? You just walk right in?" Mercedes questioned in a slightly irritated tone.

"Well I knocked but there was no answer. And I called your name when I walked in, but I'm assuming since you were _indisposed_, you didn't hear me. All I heard from the hall were groans and yelling and I thought you maybe in some kind of trouble" she sighed. "I guess I should have called" she smirked getting a good look at Sam's face, now that he was at least partially dressed.

"Mamma, we both know you only visit me when something has happened" Mercedes huffed as she attempted to gain her mother's attention. "So what's wrong?"

"Marco and I may have had a little tiff" Her mother waves off as she walks farther into the room. "So I figured I would come down for a couple of days and spend time with my daughter. Who, by the way, I didn't know I needed a special reason to visit" she added, narrowing her eyes. "Also, Mercedes, you didn't tell me you had a new boyfriend"

"He is not my boyfriend" Mercedes blurts out before thinking.

The look on her mother's face is one somewhere between nauseated and anger. She looks at her daughter, then the still half dressed Sam. Her face then turned a slight shade of green as she looks at Mercedes bed, quickly reliving what she just walked in on. "Oh God Mercedes" her mother sighed "He isn't a _prostitute_ is he?" she questioned, loudly whispering the word prostitute.

Sam's face drops in disbelief that he has been automatically pegged as an escort and being spoken of as if he was not standing in the same room.

"Oh God mother, NO!" Mercedes huffs covering her face, even more embarrassed. Partially for Sam being seen as a sex worker and for herself that her mother would actually think she would have to pay for sex. "This is my friend, and newest band member Sam Evans. Sam this is my mother Dorothy Jones" she introduces the two strangers.

Sam held out his hand to shake hers, but was met with a slightly icy glare as she adds "After what I just saw you doing to my only daughter, no thank you dear". Sam pulled back his hand, completely understanding her reasoning. "And it's Dorothy Davis. Jones was my married name and I haven't been that in quite some time"

"It's nice to meet you Ms. Davis" Sam smiles nervously placing his hands back over his open fly in an attempt to give himself some modesty.

"I'm sure" she sighs looking him up and down again. "So you two are _just friends_?" she turned to Mercedes.

"Yes mamma" Mercedes sighed

"But you guys were…" she trails off making a face that indicated what she wants to say, however she refrained, scared that if she did the visual of what she just saw would come back.

"Mamma I'll explain it in a second. But can you give me and Sam some privacy right now? Thank you" Mercedes plead as she turns her mother towards her bedroom door, ushering her out into the hallway. She quickly closed the door before her mother could answer, turned to Sam, quickly saying "You gotta go!"

"What?" Sam questions in shock "What did I do?"

"Nothing" Mercedes answers honestly as she swiftly moves around the room, gathering the rest of Sam's clothing "It's just you need to leave now"

"Mercedes dear, beer? Really honey? We can't afford to bloat any more my love" Dorothy calls from the kitchen.

"Oh yeah you've got to get out of here" Mercedes huffs as she throws Sam the rest of his clothing, pushing him towards the door.

"Can I at least get my shoes on?" he questioned slightly aggravated from being rushed to leave.

"Yep, out in the hall" she answered as she quickly pushed him out of her bed room. She continues to shove him through her kitchen where he able to only grant her mother a quick "Bye, uh nice meeting you"

"You too dear" Dorothy smiles, as she lifts her head out of Mercedes fridge.

"Okay Bye Sam!" Mercedes practically yelled as she tosses a still shirtless, shoeless, Sam into her hall, whispering quickly "I'll call you later" as she closes the door.

Sam quietly finished getting dressed in the hall, and headed home.

The next day, Sam's luck hadn't improved unfortunately. It was the day of his big presentation of his original comic to the higher ups in his office. With sketches and story boards in hand, Sam sauntered into the office boardroom, ready to give the presentation of a life time. And he had to admit to himself, it was damn good one. However, the head of his publishing division seemed unimpressed and down right board through out his presentation. In the end, he thanked him for his time, but explained to Sam that they would not be using his story idea, and that he should try again when he has a "Twilight" or "Hunger Games" like idea. "We need something a little more epic" where his exact closing words.

Sam returned to his desk defeated where he was swamped with phone calls and back work. He was so busy that when he looked up, he realized that he had worked through his lunch. He sighed and places his head in his hands, as his stomach begins to rumble, wishing that his day would end already.

"Easy Memphis, it can't be that bad" A light voice joked from the side of his cubicle divider.

He gazed up to find two smiling brown eyes gazing down on him. "Hope you're hungry" Mercedes sang "I got a few "sorry I was a crazy woman last night" sandwiches with me" she joked holding up two bags loaded with food.

"Yeah, well can I eat mine sitting down, or do I have to quickly inhale it in the hall?" Sam smirked in a cool tone.

"I deserve that" Mercedes sighed. "Can we go somewhere and eat and I'll explain everything to you?" she asked adding a bit of sugar to her tone.

Sam silently nodded, his stomach getting the best of him after he caught a whiff from the bags. He stood up, grabbing his work satchel, slinging it across his body. He silently led her to the elevators and down to the first floor of the building. They quietly walked across the building's lobby to an area perfect for eating, equip with stone tables and benches, and a few sparsely planted garden areas surrounded by concrete.

Sam sat silently at one of the tables, Mercedes taking a seat across from him. She quietly distributed the sandwiches and chips. Sam was pleasantly surprised to find it was a turkey, with sprouts and spicy mustard. After a few bites he pointed out "This is my favorite"

"Yeah, well you ordered it once before" Mercedes shrugged nonchalantly "I guess I just remembered"

"Thanks" Sam said focusing on his sandwich

"Your welcome" Mercedes smiled lightly. For the first time since they first met, an uneasy silence fell between them. Both of them chewed in silence, focusing on the building, trees, anything but each other.

"Look Sam, I'm sorry for throwing you out last night" Mercedes huffed, finally breaking their awkward silence.

"Well you had to get rid of the "escort" some way" Sam snorted coldly

"What's that suppose to mean?" Mercedes asked in an offended tone

"I understand you were embarrassed by me-"

"No!" Mercedes huffed cutting him off before he could finish "It had nothing to do with you, it's… it's her. My mother makes me crazy. Literally" Sam huffed with an eye roll in an unbelieving tone. Mercedes stood up, pulling her sandwich around to his side of the table to share his bench. "Look my mother and I don't have the best relationship" she explained. "She and I are… opposite in so many ways. I knew that if you stayed there any longer, she would end up doing something to offend you more that calling you an escort"

Sam finally looked Mercedes in the eye, reading sincerity in them. He sighed, relaxing his muscles and letting down his guard. "Why do you and her have such a difficult relationship?" he questioned turning his body towards her.

Mercedes snorted, adding "It's a long story"

"Well I got time" Sam shrugged taking another bite of his sandwich.

"It…" Mercedes paused, thinking of where to start "It started when my father left. He and my mother where both in school when they met. He was in dental, while she was a sophomore in college. They fell in love instantly" she smiled as she reminisced about her father telling her this story many times as a kid. "He wooed her at every turn. Flowers, candy, dinners, he even took her on a hot air balloon ride" she giggled.

"Grand gestures?" Sam questioned with an eyebrow raise

"Grand gestures" Mercedes repeated in agreement. "Well, she got pregnant with my older brother by her junior year, and had to quit school. She moved in with him because he came from a well off family" Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Her whole life became him, then my brother, and finally me a few years later, after they were finally married. The day of my birth he gifted her with a new car. She loved to joke it's the day she got "two Mercedes"" she mocked in an aggravated tone. "Anyway, things were okay, and then they turned really bad between them. They fought everyday, until when I was thirteen I came home from school to find him throwing all of his things into his car. He was finally leaving her" Mercedes said in a hushed tone looking down at her half eaten sandwich, suddenly losing her appetite as she recalled that day. Sam sensing she needed it gently placed his arm around her shoulder. She smiled at him kindly and continued "I begged him to stay. I mean I was in tears on our front lawn, pulling on him, begging him to stay. But he just yelled he couldn't deal with _her_. So he kindly removed me from his waist, hopped in his car and pulled off. I learned that day there is no reason to cry over a man. And from that day on, I never did"

Sam sat in silence and shock as he allowed her words to penetrate his mind. "So you've never cried over a break up?" Sam questioned astonished.

"Nope" she huffed "Why should I cry over a man, when tears did nothing for the one who was suppose to always be there for me?" she shrugged. "So after my father left, her whole world was my brother and me. Then when two years later, he left for college it was just me" she rolled her eye annoyed "She monitored everything I did, said, ate, who my friends were" she chuckled. "She watched every pound gained, every pound lost, what boys I should date, what boys would date me considering my... weight. It was stifling" Mercedes began to drift off to that time in her life when she felt everything she did, said and ate was wrong.

"What happened to your father?" Sam questioned after a pause, pulling Mercedes out of her head.

"Well he moved his practice to Florida. Shacked up with some 20 something and started a new family." She waived off as if it didn't bother her, but Sam could sense that it did. "I see him only periodically on special occasions. Last time I saw him was my twenty first birthday" she shrugged. "He gave me access to my trust. I used just enough to buy my apartment and truck. I told him he could keep the rest"

"So you don't have any type of emotional relationship with him?" Sam asked his heart hurting for his friend.

"Well, when I was younger I tried. I would call him, but he would always assume it was about money or buying me something. I learned then that the only way he could show affection was buying me things. But as I got older and realized that stuff is not a substitute for him. Unfortunately he never got that memo"

"So who is Marco?"

"Oh" Mercedes chuckled realizing that her mother did mention him last night. "My mother, in hopes of mending her broken heart, started seeing a pack of random guys. Marco is her latest find. They never last long but he's lasted longer than most" Mercedes laughed. "She's always looking for two things, money and romance. Not necessarily in that order but they must have both"

"You guys _are_ different" Sam realized as he gazed off

"Yeah, and the way she can act is so… Well so not me. So that's why I wanted you out of there so quickly" Mercedes explained. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love her with all of my heart and I know that everything that has happened between us, was her having good intentions. But, we can't sit in a room with out her making me irate sometimes. But I'm sorry I took it out on you" she sighed "You didn't deserve that"

Sam smiled weakly, but understandingly. "It's okay. You were in shock from being walked in on right after… you know"

"Oh and about that, I just really want to apologize for my Mom assuming you were an escort" she sighed as she looked over to Sam. "She can be a little melodramatic at times"

"It's okay" Sam shrugged off. "I mean she was just, I don't know, in a traumatized state. It's not everyday you walk in on your only daughter, stark naked with a man she says is not her boyfriend, with her unobtainium in the air. It was a bit too much for her to see"

Mercedes quickly scrunched her face into a confused expression. "Unob-what-ium?"

"Oh" Sam chuckled realizing it was the first time he'd used the term with her "It's the element the evil corporation was mining in Avatar. It's a term used in a lot of science fiction writings to describe an extremely rare, or non existent element"

"I don't even want to know" Mercedes shook her head

"Yes you do" Sam grinned knowing her interest was piqued about his choice of words.

"Okay you're right, but I'm nervous" she giggled.

"Okay, then I won't tell you" Sam scooted away slightly as he turned his body to the side granting her an undignified smile.

"Now I really want to know" Mercedes snickered sliding closer to him. "Tell me"

"Nope" he smiled in an attempt to hide his face.

Mercedes gently poked him in the side, in an attempt to get him to face her. Instead she found a secret ticklish spot on his side. He jumped with a slight yelp of "Hey!" at the sensation.

"Oh now I see I'm not the only one who is ticklish" she grinned scooting closer, threatening to hit the spot again "Tell me" she warned.

"Okay, okay" he relented, putting his hands up n mock surrender. "I've dubbed your… posterior unobtainium because it is very rare and hard to find one as nice as yours" he smiled

Mercedes let out a roar of laughter, doubling over as she did. "Oh my gosh" she expelled from her belly adding "Sam I don't know about you sometimes"

"What?" he smiled "It's not a lie"

"You are too goofy" she giggled, whipping away tears as she caught her breath. "So why did I find you so stressed up stairs?" she questioned, quickly changing gears.

"Oh" his faced dropped instantly as he remembered his morning. "Today was my presentation, and I was turned down about my comic idea" he sighed.

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that" she pouted. "I know you were really excited about it, and was working really hard on you presentation"

"Yeah" he shrugged "I guess it wasn't as special as I thought it was going to be"

"Well why can't you release it yourself someway?" she shrugged.

"What do you mean?" he questioned looking into her large brown eyes.

"Well, like use your own money to get it published or something?" she shrugged. "I just hate to see you give up on it when it seemed that you were really excited about it."

Sam sat quietly contemplating Mercedes suggestion. "You're right" he smiled brightly "You're a genius, do you know that?" he beamed granting her a light squeeze.

"Well I have my moment" she chuckled

"Thanks so much 'Cedes" he smiled as he brought her into a hug

"No problem pal, just doing my job" she smiled back in his embrace. "And thank-you by the way for listening to me bitch and moan about my mother"

"Well we're friends right? And aren't they supposed to sit through any form of bitching and moaning?" Sam questioned as he pulled away from her with a large grin.

"Yep, we're friends" she repeated.

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><p><strong>So yep they got caught... I known not by who you may have wanted but, hey its a start (Don't worry I have a plan of action for the rest of the gang but that's down the line) But I hope you still enjoyed the chapter because after this chapter we may start a love hate relationship. The next chapter you will start it loving me, then hate me in the end, then love me, then hate me for a while (Yeah I have the story that worked out... in my head anyway. Which is a good thing because I'm having MAJOR writers block on another story I'm writing. *sighs*)<strong>

**So I must ask my dear sweet reviewers have you ever been caught red handed? Doesn't have to be by a parent it can be by anyone (friend, roommate, waiter... I don't judge lol) I can honestly say I have been LOL. By a maid service... I laughed loudly! What about you?**

**Siltsan=good**

**Augia lolu= there has been a sign!**


	15. Chapter 15: In a past life

**Hi. Thanks for the follows and faves. And to my reviewers... you naughty naughty children LOL I'm glad I'm not the only person who's been caught. I swear you guys keep me so entertained with your reviews that I at times re read them for a good laugh. And now I will never look at a basket of laundary the same again ;0) I know to knock before walking into a private study room in the library. I love it! And yeah I wanted Mercedes to get caught in a position that NO ONE wants a parent to catch them in (face down, ass up) LOL. **

**So this chapter is one I have been working on since I started this fic. I kind of alluded to it in an ealier chapter with Brittney. And it is the start of the love hate relationship I was talking about. You will love me and at the end... well I'll shut my mouth and let you guys read.**

**As always: Read, Enjoy, and Review...**

* * *

><p><strong><em>In a past life.<em>**

"You can't be serious, that is _not_ a real thing" Mercedes said with a solemn giggle.

"I'm serious. Or it was what I was told" Sam said smiling in an attempt to convince his friend what he just explained was a real term for the act he just described. "I've never done it, nor do I ever want to"

"I just can't believe that some female would do that, and some male would let her" Mercedes explained with a head shake.

"Like I said, I've never done it, but I've heard if you have that's what its call." Sam smiled with a shrug.

It was another Friday, with the duo hanging out in Mercedes apartment. The two had barely spent any time together after Mercedes suggestion earlier in the week that Sam come up with a way to put his comic out himself, and her mother had been staying with her. Every night after work Sam has gone straight home to work with Finn, who was between jobs currently, on development of a special website dedicated solely to his comic. Due to the time and effort Finn put into it, the site was coming together nicely. And for all of his confusion in every other aspect of life, Finn had done an amazing job on the site format and added some amazing specialized touches to the comic including an interactive section that allowed for different story paths in the comic, and a special feature much like that of an iPad where if read on a tablet, the pages turn, and there is slight movement of the characters into place. Sam was amazed how well the site was coming along, and figured that even it its beta stage, it was enjoyable. So much so that he sent a special link to the site to his little brother Steven back home, to try it out and to give and suggestions, or inform him of any possible bugs that Finn may need to work on.

By Friday he was totally burnt out from late nights with Finn, and early mornings at work. He was exhausted but was missing his friend, so Sam accepted her invitation to hang out, since Mercedes mother was in Connecticut visiting friends for the weekend. They settled on watching a mix of their favorite movies. They started with the first Spiderman, and were currently watching No Stings, although neither one was really paying attention, once Sam mentioned a conversation he had with a former co-worker.

"I guess it's a good thing I didn't explain what a "Bucking Bronco" is" Sam chuckled with a smirk.

"Okay, now I have to know" Mercedes sat up, giving Sam her full attention.

"No" Sam sighed while shaking his head "I don't want you to loose total faith in men"

"Now I've got to know" Mercedes said sitting up farther on the couch she shared with her current guest. "What is a "Bucking Bronco"?" she asked with a smile.

"You sure you want to know?" Sam cautioned. Once she shook her head that she wanted him to continue, he sighed and smirked knowing what her reaction would be. "Okay" he began "a Bucking Bronco is when a man in the middle of sex takes an extremely close hold on his girl. Like he holds on really tightly to her. And then he all of a sudden, while they are having sex mind you, calls out another girl's name on purpose."

Mercedes eyes widen as she leaned forward asking "Why in the hell would he do that?"

Sam sighed, slightly nauseated by the explanation. "To see how long he can hold on to her while she tries to buck him off of her."

Mercedes sat quietly for a moment; her mouth gaped as what he just said swirled around her head. She sat back like she had been hit by a ton of bricks. "Oh HELL TO THE NO! You have to be joking" she said, finally finding words.

"No, I'm very serious" he admitted.

"Men are horrible!" she yelled throwing her hands in the air. "What the hell is wrong with you guys?" she questioned.

"Hey!" Sam said defensively "I can honestly say I have _NEVER_ done anything like that to a woman I was sleeping with. It was just something I was told about."

"I can't believe anyone would do something like that" she sighed.

"It's one of the things I heard working around a bunch of men" Sam chuckled as he readjusted himself on the couch. "Working around a bunch of guys, you hear a lot of crazy things"

"I bet" Mercedes agreed. "I'm sure you've heard enough to fill a book"

"Yeah well" Sam sighed "You learn a lot when you work with strippers"

The room fell silent as Sam instantly regretted his last statement. He had never admitted his previous employments to any of the women in his life, but a sense of familiarity caused it to slip out. He hoped that she wasn't really paying close attention to what he just admitted, and they would be able to go forward with the night, like it never happened.

Unfortunate for him, Mercedes was paying very close attention. "Excuse me?" she asked as she sat forward, making sure she heard him correctly. "When you work with what?"

"DAMN IT!" Sam yelled in his head. "Uh, nothing" he quickly replied as he got up from the couch. He began to walk towards the kitchen, in an attempt to escape the follow up questions he knew she would have.

"Oh No Samuel Evens" Mercedes called out as she saw Sam attempting to make a quick get away. "Did you just say you worked with strippers?" she asked making sure she heard him correctly.

"Uh, no" he quickly said, shrugging only his left shoulder.

"Oh My God!" Mercedes exclaimed, noticing his physical reaction to her question. "You are lying! You worked with strippers"

"What?" Sam questioned as he internally began to panic. "I'm not lying" shrugging his left shoulder again.

"Yes you are" she said, amused that he was really attempting to conceal his real previous occupation.

"No, I'm not" Sam answered in a failed attempt to convince Mercedes that she had misread what he just confessed.

"Yeah you are" she laughed "and I know you're lying"

"How" Sam challenged crossing his arms across his chest defensively.

"Okay" she smiled "Where you sexually attracted to me when you first saw me?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah" Sam answered with a straight face "We've already been over this"

"I know, just checking" Mercedes smiled. "Okay here's a question. Were you sexually attracted to Quinn when you first saw her?"

Sam froze. He knew the real answer but was unsure what her reaction would be. "No" he quickly answered with a shrug of his left shoulder.

"OH MY GOD!" Mercedes yelled laughing loudly "Yes you were! You can't lie Memphis"

Sam stood there frozen. He knew he was lying, but he was amazed she could easily tell when he was. "No I'm not" he rebutted, in his last attempt to convince her.

"Yes you are!" Mercedes laughed hysterically. "Either you don't know your lying, or you just refuse to admit it. You shrug only your left shoulder when you lie. It's like your body is fighting its self about telling the truth." She explained, showing that she wasn't apart of some elaborate parlor trick.

Sam stood there stunned. He knew he wasn't being honest about his former line of work, or his initial reaction to seeing Quinn. But he never knew that when he lied he tended to shrug solely his left shoulder. "I, ugh" he stuttered.

"Oh give up Memphis" Mercedes cackled. "You're busted. So you worked at a strip club?" she questioned moving on from the fact, understanding that he would never admit that he was lying about the Quinn issue. "Were you a stripper?"

Sam stood silent, scared to move. He knew that she would be able to tell if he was lying, but admitting to the truth was a hard pill for him to swallow. "I don't want to talk about it" was the only answerer he was able to come up with.

"WHAT? Oh no you have to answer!" Mercedes yelled sitting up on her couch. "You were a stripper?"

"I'm not answering that." Sam said calmly knowing that if he attempted to lie she would know. "I want to change the subject"

"NO!" Mercedes wined as she leapt off of the couch to follow him into the kitchen as he attempted to retreat from the current line of questioning. "Come on, you have to tell me" she practically begged.

"No, I really don't" he answered as he made her way to her fridge, attempting to look like he was looking for something, when in reality he was attempting to avoid the entire conversation.

"Uh, come on Sam!" Mercedes wined "You know I won't tell anyone"

"I know" he replied, honestly feeling that if he had a real secrete in this world he could trust her with it. "That's not the point. I just don't want to talk about it"

"Ugh, okay" Mercedes relented, still wanting to know about his possible former employment. She hopped up on her counter, as he opened a bottle of water he pulled from her fridge. She sat quietly as silence fell in room, the both of them just looking at each other. "I'll play you for it" she finally offered with a mischievous smile.

"What?" Sam questioned

"I'll play you for the information" Mercedes repeated with more confidence as a plan quickly formed in her head.

Sam responded with a laugh. "You can't be serious"

"No, really" Mercedes offered. "Best out of five on my Xbox connect Tennis. If I win I get answers to all of my questions about your former employment, and a lap dance" she smiled almost positive she was talking to a former male exotic dancer.

Sam chuckled at her proposition. "Yeah, okay. Lets say a agree to play you in tennis. What do I get if I win?" he asked out of curiosity.

"Well" she thought honestly about what he could possibly want from her."What do you want?" she asked after thinking for a moment, unable to come up with anything of value that he could want from her.

Sam thought quietly. Suddenly a sly smirk crept across his face. "Okay, if I were to play you and won, I'd want you to go to the top of the Empire State building with me and look out at the view" He chuckled figuring she would never go for such a bet, considering her fear of heights. "That and a lap dance from _you_" he smirked as he upped the ante.

Mercedes sat quietly for a moment, as she thought over what she would have to do. "Deal!" she quickly agreed, holding out her hand to seal their bet.

Sam stood stunned, as he looked at her out reached hand. He never imagined that she would actually agree. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He questioned, attempting to give her a way to back out of the bet.

"I'm sure" she shrugged coolly, with her hand still stretched out to her opponent.

Not one to look like a chicken by backing down from a bet, Sam crossed the kitchen and shook her hand. "Deal" he agreed smoothly, figuring he would be a shoe in to win.

It was a mighty battle. Mercedes took the first game, out right, with no issue. Sam, feeling the pressure, took the second game, with not problem. The next two games were fiercely fought on both sides. Both participants felt the heat and the weight of what they were playing for. In the end Mercedes was the winner, by taking the third game out right, and winning the fourth game when Sam, hit the ball out.

Mercedes, joyous in her win in the fourth game, physically celebrated her triumph with a victory dance. She turned in a small circle as she shook her behind while chanting "I win, I win". Sam had to admit to himself, he hated loosing, but he loved to see Mercedes win, if she would do that dance. When she was finished with her victory bop she turned to face her opponent with a smile. He knew exactly what it meant without her saying one word. He was about to spill about his former, hidden life.

"Oh boy" she grinned "It's lap dance time" She ran to her docked iPod touch, on her bar and quickly turned it on. "So Sam" she started with a large satisfying grin "let's start with the basics. Was there a time when you worked at a strip club?"

Sam sighed wishing he had never agreed to their bet. But, he was a man of his word, and because he was, and she could easily tell when he wasn't being truthful he answered honestly. "Yes, I worked at a strip club"

Mercedes turned to him with a large smile. "Oh really?" she feigned surprise. "And when you worked at this strip club, were you a stripper?"

Sam sighed as memories quickly flashed through his mind. "Yes. Yes I worked as a male stripper" he admitted.

Mercedes eye widened. She figured he was a stripper, but to hear it from his own mouth, his admission made it reality. "Oh wow" she said stunned by his admission. "Was it a gay club?" she questioned.

"No" Sam answered. "It catered more towards women, even though the occasional guys wondered in from time to time" Sam admitted.

"Oh" she sighed. She smiled as she located the song she was in search of on her iPod. "When you danced at this club, what was its name by the way?" she questioned.

Sam sighed wishing he could back out of the agreement then to discuss his former life. "Stallions" he admitted.

"Oh wow. That's a great name" she smiled as she imagined her friend anywhere near a place called Stallions. "When you danced at Stallions, did you dance to slow or fast music?" she asked, hoping he would be able to keep up with her song of choice.

"Both" he huffed.

"Yes, that's great" she beamed. "That means you should be able to move to this." She pressed play, and her wireless speakers began to play T-Pains I'm in love with a Stripper.

Sam sighed. "Really 'Cedes" he asked in a unconvinced tone. "You could have picked _any_ song, but this one? I figured you'd be original" he said in a slightly disappointed tone.

"Oh, don't talk about my song choice" she defended. "I want to see you dance, and this is the song I want to see you dance to" she explained as she took one of her antique sitting chairs and pulled it onto her hardwood floor, in front of Sam. "Now" she said as she sat in the seat, wiggling her behind into the cushion and crossing her legs at the knee, "Dance" she ordered with a satisfied smirk on her face.

Sam stood still, unsure where to begin. Mercedes cocked her head noticing his hesitation. "Oh you need an introduction don't you?" she questioned as she attempted to figure out why he stood like a statute in front of her. "Ladies and some gentlemen" she began, imitating a DJ on a microphone, "We have a special treat for you " she giggled. "We have a dancer for you all the way from the blues capital of Memphis. He is a new comer so please be kind" she joked. She quickly stopped and scrunched her face up. "Wait a minute" she stated out loud, as Sam placed all of his weight onto his left hip, in an unamused manner. "You need a stage name don't you?" she stated more to herself than to Sam. "Oh, wait a minute, you probably already have one?" she stated wide eyed excited that she'd come up with a new question. "Sam what was your stage name?"

Sam sighed as he did a very visual face palm. That was the one question he was hoping she would skip over. He huffed as he grumbled into his hand "White Chocolate".

"EXCUSE ME!" Mercedes shouted, sure that she had heard him correctly, but insisted that he repeat himself for her amusement. "What was your name?"

Sam sighed as he removed his hand from his face. "White Chocolate. My stage name was White Chocolate" he admitted, forcefully, with a ting of attitude at the fact she made him repeat it when he was sure she heard him.

Mercedes froze with her mouth gapped open. Suddenly, she let of a loud laugh that reverberated throughout her apartment. "OH MY GOD!" she exclaimed. "This just keeps getting better" she giggled as she rocked back and forth in her seat. "Best. Stage. Name. EVER!" she exclaimed.

"Look" Sam sighed, in an attempt to move forward "Am I dancing for you here, or not?"

"Oh I'm sorry" Mercedes genuinely apologized "Yes you are dancing for me" She smiled widely.

Sam began a slow two step, moving side to side to the beat as it surrounded the room. "Oh NO" Mercedes objected "I want the White Chocolate experience. So shake it Evans" she demanded with a large smile as she settled back into her seat.

Her request gave Sam pause. Although he never actually went through with it, he had always wanted the experience of pulling one of his customers out of the crowd, and turning her out sexually. He'd discussed the idea with a few of his more brazen co-workers who highly recommended it. However Sam refused to take his work home with him. He was now presented with the chance to satisfy this suppressed fantasy. With that realization, Sam closed his eyes and tried to imagine he was back in Stallions and he had picked Mercedes out of the crowd as his victim for the night. He began rolling his body to the beat seductively eliciting a hoot from his audience. He was amazed how easily it all came back to him, like riding a bike. He slowly began to raise his shirt revealing his amazing six pack. He quickly slid out of his garment, tossing it to Mercedes. As it landed squarely on Mercedes head, he laughed a bit. She ripped his shirt off of her face she sarcastically laughed "Ha ha".

"Sorry" he smirked as he walked closer to his audience of one. He rolled his body as he swayed his hips in a seductive manner. Mercedes playfully whooped and hollered as he began to unbuckle his belt and jeans, revealing the waist band of his boxer briefs. Mercedes reached up, running her index finger down the line that separated the left side of his abs from his right stopping when she was at the waist band of his underwear. She then playfully placed her finger under his band and tugged at it gently as he trusted his hips in her face. She pulled it twice and let it go, popping back against his skin. At that moment Sam stopped dancing and stared down at Mercedes with a mischievous grin.

He reached over towards her, resting his hands on the arm rests of her chair. "You know" he said in a slight growl "there was a rule at Stallions. You should never dance for free" he explained while licking his lips.

"Oh well if you want money, I can go get my purse" Mercedes joked as she began to lift out of her chair. Her motion was met with Sam's large rough hand on her décolletage, gently pushing her back down into her seat.

"I don't want money" he said with a seductive grin.

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><p><strong>And here comes the anger LOL. I promise the next chapter is a continuation of the night. And I promise its a good one (I've been working very hard on it)<strong>

**And you know White Chololate HAD to make a cameo in this fic. **

**The Bucking Bronco is a very real thing that I was told by my sisters BF. What man is insane enough to do that I have no clue but it is a real thing. **


	16. Chapter 16:Keep the Party Going

**Hi. So thanks for the follows, and favs. And to my reviewers 200 reviews! Wow I'm like amazed! Thank you so much. I never thought I'd hit triple digits in reviews (and might I add they are very entertaining) so thank-you, thank-you, thank-you! (and all other readers) Sorry for cutting it off where I did. I just really wanted this part to... well be really really good. So I hope you guys love it (That's what I'm aiming for). Well read on and tell me what you think. **

**As always: Read, Enjoy, and Review...**

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><p><strong><em>Keep the party going...<em>**

And in that moment, the playful aura that had accumulated in the room, suddenly dissipated, as substantial cloud of sexual tension slowly filled its place. It seemed to the parties, the room got hotter, and the air thicker. When Mercedes looked into his eyes, she didn't see Sam anymore. She knew it was him, her friend who she would have casual relations with, but something in his eyes had changed. They held a bit of danger in them that scared her a little, but also excited her. She slowly licked her lips as T-Pain was replaced with the sounds of Jill Scott's All I as their background music. She nibbled on the corner of her bottom lip trying to decide if she was going to ask a loaded question, and how he would possibly answer it. "Well" she gazed into his jade eyes "What _do_ you want?"

Sam smirked, knowing that saying what he wanted wouldn't have the same effect as showing her would. He slowly took his hand, and uncrossed her legs. He then silently stood straight up, peering down on her with a slightly authoritative smirk on his face. He took his right foot and used it to gently spread her feet, placing each one in front of the front legs of the chair. He then leaned forward again, placing his hands on her knees. His touch sending heat through her body, as his finger tips danced along the fabric of her jeans. He slowly slid them up her thighs as he moved in closer to her, positioning himself between her open thighs.

Mercedes closed her eyes, as she anticipated the feel of his lips on hers, softly inhaling. Instead she felt his breath on her lips, as he stopped just short of kissing her. He mischievously smirked at her reaction to him leaning in, relishing in his effect on her. He floated around the perimeter of her face, his breath tickling every part of her skin it touched. He slid his hands under her thighs, getting a good grip on the lower part of her ass. Mercedes slowly opened her eyes to a smiling Sam, in enough time to see him slowly lick his lips. Her breath hitched at the sight of his action.

Suddenly, she felt him lift her up out of her chair, wrapping her thighs around his waist. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, to ensure he didn't drop her. "Sam!" she shouted her eyes wide with fear "put me down. I'm too-"Her statement cut off by his lips pressing against hers. Sam stood sturdy as he held her softness to his body gripping her ass tightly. He gently wrapped his tongue around hers as they kissed. Mercedes relaxed her grip around his neck, as she got lost in the moment. She slowly wrapped her legs around him, pressing her self closer to him.

Sam walked slowly towards her couch, and turned around and sat down. He turned his torso, laying Mercedes down, her head on the left head rest. He contorted his body so that he was hovering over her, one arm by her head, the other on the cushion under her lower back. He pulled away, and smiled, as he placed a feather light kiss on her lips.

Mercedes smiled as he peered down at her. "I always heard there was no sex in the Champaign room" she joked as she ran her hand down his stripped bare chest, sending a slight shiver down his spine.

"Well" he smiled back "There is also a rule about not touching the dancers, and we've already broken that. Why not go all the way" he joked as he leaned back in for another kiss. He slowly ran his lower hand under her shirt, slowly pulling it up. He placed his weight on his knees, as he lifted her shirt over her head and off of her body. He then removed her bra. When he looked down at her exposed breast he smiled lightly licking his lips as he leaned into her bear skin as "Hallelujah" left his mouth as a soft whisper. Mercedes giggled as he lowered his mouth onto her breast, nuzzling her smooth brown skin. He gently sank his teeth into her skin as he ran his tongue over her, tasting the salt and vanilla scented lotion. He softly suckled at her nipples causing a gentle whimper to leave her lips.

His hands slid down to her jeans, unbuttoning them with a flick of his hand. Mercedes bit her bottom lip as his hand roamed over her skin. She gently pressed her upper back to her couch as she lifted her hips, while he shimmed her pants over her thick, round thighs, tossing them behind him on the floor. He gently separated her legs, as he lowered his head down to her pastel pink and yellow panties, never breaking eye contact. Quickly recalling the lessons she'd given him from the first time around, and determined to get it right, Sam slowly ran his tongue against the soft cotton of the crotch of her underwear. Locating her clit he ran a circle around it a little harder than he normally would to ensure she felt it through the fabric. The moan she released let him know she had. He worked on her mound teasingly through her underwear until he was unsure if the result of the soaked material was from his saliva or her actual excitement.

"Please" she begged him as she slowly wound her hips to the beat of his tongue, wishing he would grant her the gift of actual contact to her bare skin.

Sam smiled knowing he had her open already and she still had her panties on. "Excuse me? What was that?" he asked happy he'd been able to turn the tables, forcing her to repeat what she'd just said.

Mercedes bit her lip as she tightened the tendon in her inner thighs. "Please" she repeated shyly, feeling helpless to him.

With her word, Sam slid her panties to the side granting her plea, as he tasted her bare skin. The high pitched moan that she let off let him know she'd been waiting a while just for that feeling. Enclosing his lips around her clit he sucked her gently, surprised that only after a few seconds of the sensation, due to his previous licking, sucking and teasing, Mercedes thighs began to quake around his ears as her breathing sped up. Sam quickly slid his fingers into her just as her inner walls began to collapse, pressing on her spot, causing her to scream "FUCK SAM!" loudly as an intense orgasm ripped through her like thunder.

When he came up removing his soaking fingers from her, Mercedes was shivering as she giggled, in a higher pitched tone than she normally did. Sam stood up smiling as he admired his handy work, while he reached in his back pocket for his wallet.

"SHIT!" he exclaimed when he found the secrete compartment that normally held his "golden ticket" empty.

"What?" Mercedes panted finally catching her breath.

"I didn't bring a condom" he slumped in a defeated manner.

Mercedes smiled sweetly as she fingered him over to her. He leaned over her standing up but placing his hands on the head rest on either side of her head. "Go to my room, in my bedside draw" she ordered.

"Mercedes, you know I have trouble with the condoms you ha-"he began only to be met by her finger to his soft, pink, glistening pout.

"Go to my room, in my bedside draw" she repeated.

Sam sighed as he stood up and headed to her room. He figured as he walked that as hard as he was and as much as he wanted her he would suffer through a session of uncomfortably tight protections. He would just sure he was careful and didn't bust through them.

When he opened her drawer, he was surprised to find a fresh unopened black box. He smiled as he opened the packaging, pulling out one of his golden condoms. "Game on" he sighed with an excited smirk as he headed back to Mercedes even more ready, and energetic then he was before.

When he walked back into the room he found Mercedes laying on her couch with a blanket covering her, and the lamp that was over her head off placing half of the room in darkness. "Did you find what you wanted?" she smiled as the sound of Robin Thicke's I Need Love floated lightly across the room.

"Yeah" he said gruffly as he yanked his jeans off leaving him in nothing but his boxer briefs. He walked over to her and resumed his position over her, his hands by her head resting against her head rest, bring his face only a few inches from hers. "You said you wanted the White Chocolate experience right?" he asked in a deep and serious tone as he stared directly into her eyes.

"Yeah" she answered nervously

"Well, White Chocolate doesn't do scared" he informed her as he turned back on the lamp over her illuminating the area around it. "Or modesty" and with that he ripped the blanker off of her, tossing it across the room leaving her with only her underwear as cover.

Mercedes breath began to speed up, as she second guessed her request. She watched as he continued stared intensely into her eyes as he stood up and yanked down his briefs revealing that he was fully ready to give her exactly what she'd asked for. He swiftly opened the condom, covering his erection in an intimidating fashion, making her nervous. She'd had Sam a number of times before but never like this, with so much aggression.

Wasting no time Sam gripped her panties swiftly removing them tossing them across the room. He grinned naughtily as he saw the anxiety rising in her as she bit her bottom lip, while he positioned himself at her wet and ready opening. He kissed her lips, grabbing the back of her neck, pulling her to him, as he forcefully probed her mouth with his tongue. When he pulled away Mercedes was breathless, and her lips slightly swollen. He slid halfway into her moist opening, when suddenly he grabbed her hip as he contorted his body in a sitting position with her landing right on top of him, straddling his lap.

"Sam you know I-"She began to object. However before she could finish, Sam silenced her with another forceful kiss. Helpless to the power of his lips, Mercedes was muffled by his mouth, as she felt him thrust upward into her the rest of the way, and slide back out.

Once he pulled his lips from hers, he gripped her close wrapping one of his arms abound her back as he gripped her shoulder, the other one around the back of her waist insuring that she would stay in her current position and eliminating any possible escape. He lightly whispered "White Chocolate doesn't' do insecure either" as he continued to thrust into her, hitting her spot dead on.

Mercedes, after a few thrust, gave into the feeling of being on top. She was determined to not let him have total domination of her, so she began to ride him, rolling her wide hips as she bounced up and down on his member. Sam laid back on the couch, loosening the grip he had on her body, enjoying the rhythm their bodies made. As she rode him she grabbed her bouncing breast and squeezed them as she tossed her head back allowing a loud groan bounce from her lungs to the walls of her den. With each pump, she let go until she couldn't take it any longer. She began to bounce faster, to Sam's pleasure, as he moved his hands to her hips, gripping on to her like handle bars, as his upward thrust met her downward, creating a slapping sound. Mercedes leaned forward bracing herself as she gained a tight grip on the back of the couch as she road him as if he were a mechanical bull. Her legs shook as another orgasm hit her, drowning Sam's lap in her juices.

"Oh no Cowgirl, you're not done riding" Sam warned as she tried to roll off to the side when the sensation of him became too much for her to handle. He held her hips in place, forcing her to stay on top. They slowed their pace again, to a steady rhythm. Sam, enjoying the faces he was causing her to contort into, slowly brought his thumb up to her slightly parted puffy lips. Lightly, he traced over them, until she took the digit into her warm mouth, sucking on it. It was the first time in his life I thought his manhood would ever be jealous of his thumb, as it slid in and out of her soft lips. "You are so fucking sexy, you know that?" he growled as he watched her bounce up and down as she sucked his thumb, moaning in pleasure. The sight of her servicing his finger threatening the stability of his erection, as he fought his own bodily urges to release himself. However, he held back, knowing he had way more he wanted to do to her.

Pulling his thumb out with a loud moist pop, he slid his hand down her chest, past her stout bellybutton to her clit. He circled the moist digit over her nub, causing her to moan "Oh shit!" at his contact. She sped up her pace, bouncing and jiggling, as another orgasm built it way up in her. She bounced and bounced until she came again, her body shuddering before going limp, from satisfaction.

Quickly Sam changed positions, laying her head on the opposite head rest of her couch, propping her legs open, with bent knees towards her shoulders. He used all hip motion to hit her spot, as he watched her breast jump, giggle, and shake at every pump.

"Oh. Sam. Fuck. You. Feel. So. Good" she stammered, accentuating every thrust. Her words were barely heard over the sound of their skin joining together as 112 You Already Know played through her speakers. He deeply plowed into her causing sounds from her mouth he'd never heard before, as he aimed his force in an attempt to reach her bellybutton from the inside. With a shuddering bawl, her thighs shook again as Sam quickly elicited another orgasm from her, her whimpering giggles starting to sound like actual cries. However, due to the lack of tears, and her repeated, and breathless "Don't stop!" mixed in with a few well placed expletives before hand let him know that they were cries of pure pleasure and not ones of pain.

"Your legs still numb?" Sam questioned after her walls stopped quaking around his now painfully swollen erection. She wordlessly nodded, looking as if she could pass out at any moment due to bliss overload. Her eyes had glazed over, and she seemed to have lost the ability to speak in full sentences. Sam smiled knowing he could give her one more before he succumbed to his own pleasure.

He slowly wrapped her left leg around his waist, as he placed light kisses on her right leg, from her knee to her ankle, as he extended it over his shoulder. Holding her right knee, Sam again began to thrust into Mercedes, this time allowing himself to concentrate for the first time that night, on his own orgasm and the sensation of being deep inside of her. The slight friction of her walls, with the slickness of them, started to push him over the edge. He leaned into her, causing her knee to be right by her ear as he gripped the head rest. He trusted his hips fiercely casing another orgasm to build in Mercedes, who by this time doubted if she could handle anymore. She clawed at his muscular back, as her leg vibrate with her impending release. She cried out "Oh GOD, SAM!" as another orgasm washed over her.

Pumping furiously, Sam finally released his orgasm yelling out "Oel ngati kameie!" After a few last shuddering drives into her, he collapsed on top of Mercedes, exhausted and satisfied.

After a moment, Sam smoothly slid her leg off of his shoulder, and tenderly pulled out of her still panting body. He quietly stood up and walked into the bathroom to clean up. When he made his way back into the den he found Mercedes laying on the couch still and quite with her eyes closed still recovering as she listened to Beyoncé's Speechless. He smiled as he put his underwear back on, and walled over to retrieve the blanket he'd ripped off of her earlier. Wrapping it over the both of them, he laid down on the couch, resting his head on her chest as he nuzzled into her flesh to get his required cuddle time. A smile graced his lips when he felt her small finger swirling through his locks.

"So I have to ask you-" Mercedes began in a soft tone.

"No, I've never slept with a customer before" Sam answered in a slightly aggravated and offended tone, assuming that was what she was going to inquire about.

"Uh okay" she responded, sounding slightly put out. "Thanks for the info, and I appreciate your honesty, but that's not what I was going to ask"

"Oh" Sam sighed as he turned to look into her eye. "I'm sorry"

"It's okay" she huffed. "I figured that already anyway. You don't seem like the type" She shrugged. "No, I wanted to know, why the stage name White Chocolate?" she giggled, still obviously amused by his choice of stage name.

"Oh" he chuckled as he turned his head to rest once again on her chest. "Well, when I went to audition at Stallions, I was 18, and still a senior in high school, so I was still pretty green to everything. The manager of the club told me I had the body for the job, but my moves left much to be desired." He laughed.

"They were that bad?" she quizzed in a light tone.

"Worse" he admitted. "But the manager liked me, and took pity on me and hired me anyway. There was another dancer there named Matt. He was like a year older then me but looked a bit younger. He was dancing his way through college and was one of the bigger draws to the club. He told me on a good night he could pull in a thousand or so easily, just by going on the main stage. So they set me up with him to teach me some dance moves and get me performance ready"

"Kind of like a stripper mentor?" Mercedes asked

"Yeah, I guess you can say that" he shrugged.

"What was his stage name?"

"Matt was known as Black Thunder" Sam laughed as he recalled Matt's explanation for his name. "Because when he shook it, the ladies made it rain. He would always add "you can take that anyway you want to" with a wink"

Mercedes laughed, amused by the name choice adding "So, I take it Matt was confident in his "abilities"?"

"Yeah, with good reason though. The ladies there loved him. He was cool though, and made me a lot less nervous to get out there. We actually became friends" Sam smiled. "He taught me some of his money making moves to help get me ready and how to spot whales, or women who would dish out a lot of money for a little more attention. I learned a lot from him about the business in a short period of time" Sam recalled. "So, the first night I was supposed to dance, I was as ready as I could be, but I still hadn't come up with a stage name. Matt told me not to worry about it though, that he already told the DJ what to introduce me as. I questioned him right up until it was time for me to go out on stage. I was nervous because I didn't want anything weak because your stage name is just as important as you body and moves. It's part of your money making package. So I stood back stage nervous in my construction worker costume, which was my "character" by the way, when I heard "Stallions would like to introduce a new dancer. He can pound it, build it, and knock it down, so please give a hand for White Chocolate"" Sam laughed. "I looked back at Matt as if he was crazy, but he just pushed me on stage. In the end I did well, the crowd that night went wild and the name just stuck. I asked him later that night "Why White Chocolate?" He said cause I had his moves, and charisma, but I came in a white coating"

"Wow. So what happened to Matt?" Mercedes wondered after a moment of silence, allowing Sam's explanation to sink in. "Did he make it though school and graduate? Are you two still friends?"

"Yeah, I message him on FaceBook ever so often" Sam shrugged "It's hard to catch up with him because Dr. Rutherford is really busy with his medical rounds" he smiled. "But when he can he still drops me a line every now and then. And he still calls me by my stage name when he does"

They laid there in silence for a few more minutes, as Sam thought over his days as an exotic dancer and what lead him to dance in the first place. He closed his eyes and relived his former profession as if he didn't live it, but it was a movie he'd seen a thousand times.

The next thing he noticed he was waking up, having fallen asleep cuddled up on Mercedes. He turned his head to find her asleep, a light snore at her lips. He smiled as he slid from under the blanket, wrapping it around her still nude body. He then gently slid his arms under her, lifting her up. He cradled her to his solid body, as he made his way to her bedroom. He laid her gently down on her bed and smiled at her exhausted body, noticing just how pretty she was when she was asleep. As he turned to head back to her den when he heard her groggily croak "You know you can stay here tonight?" He swiftly turned to find a half sleep Mercedes looking at him, her eyes heavy, fighting to stay half open. She quick added "I know I don't have the sound of Memphis bugs in a box for you to fall asleep to, but you don't have to go"

Sam smiled politely and walked out to her den. Mercedes struggled to stay wake, but was exhausted from the night's activities. After a while she assumed that Sam was in getting dressed in her den, preparing to leave and turn down her invitation to stay the night when she saw he turned the lights off in the other room. When he reappeared, however, he held both of their clothes folded in a neat pile. He dropped it next to her door, closing it behind him. He silently walked over to the other side of her bed, and climbed in with her.

"Good night Mercedes" Sam sighed and he snuggled in for the night.

"Good night" Mercedes responded with a small smile. "White Chocolate" before passing out.

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><p><strong>Whoo. That took a lot out of me to write. And don't you love a stripping mentor Matt? I do. Hope he won at turning her out. What do you think? <strong>

_**Oel ngati kameie= I see you**_

**I'll enjoy the love I'm getting right now... it may not last.**


	17. Chapter 17:Cookie Monster

**Hi. So Thank you so much for the follows and favs. I love getting the alerts that people are actually reading whatever I write and actually wants to keep up with it (still kinda shocks me). And to my reviewers sorry I made you want to lust after a fictional character... Actually that's not true at all. I wanted that to happen LMAO. I'm so glad it worked. And I'm so happy you guys liked the last update. Oh and when I wrote she "Fingered him over" I meant she told him to "Come here" or beckoned him over to her (I was asked about that so wanted to clear up any confusion)**

**So I was asked by an amazing author on here for a new update. And because she gave us another amazing update of her story (Really if you haven't read Blood, Lust, and Bulletwounds by Jadziwine please do. Like I lust after her version of Sam. Lust I say *hangs head* LOL) and she said the magic word (Please) LOL I felt compelled to write a new chapter. Here is were the hate may come in (sad to say)**

**So as always: Read, Enjoy, and Review**

**BTW I still don't own Glee, Friends with Benefits, or Sesame St. But I do love Cookie Monster LOL**

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><p><em><strong>Cookie Monster<strong>_

"How do you like the asparagus, Mercedes?" Dorothy questioned her youngest as she gazed at her across the table.

Mercedes suddenly looked up from her plate, where she was pushing around an asparagus with the tongs of her fork. Her mother had gotten back early on Sunday, and prepared her and her daughter a nutritious but tasteless dinner of asparagus, chicken breast, and wild rice. Mercedes never minded eating what most would consider "health food". But her mother withheld all seasoning, reasoning that any additional salt would only bloat daughter, which meant that her food was bland to say the very least.

"It's fine Mamma, thank you" Mercedes huffed as she brought a dry pile of rice to her lips.

"I missed you this weekend" Dorothy smiled at Mercedes. "I had the most relaxing weekend out there. And Marci and Derik's son, you know Mark, he came home to visit" she grinned. Dorothy never failed at trying to play matchmaker for her daughter. "I told him all about you and you life in the big city" she beamed.

"That's nice Mama" Mercedes huffed not really paying attention to her mother. Whenever she felt her mother attempting to "hook" her up, Mercedes found it best to pretend to pay attention to her, instead of fighting it. Whenever she fought one of Dorothy's attempts to play matchmaker she always seem to end up on a miserable blind date, with a guy who couldn't be less interested in her, but agreed to going out with her as a favor to their parent.

"Well what did you do this weekend?" Dorothy questioned taking a sip of her spring water.

"Oh, just you know, hung out around here" Mercedes sighed as she refrained from allowing a knowing smile from breaking through onto her lips. She knew that if she smiled her mother would badger her about how she really spent her weekend, which was really spent singing at practice with her band members, and having amazing, sweaty, loud, and energy zapping sex with Sam. Her Friday was spent having quite possibly the most mind blowing sex she'd ever had. She honestly lost count of how many times Sam made her legs shake and go numb. Her Saturday morning ended up being just as eventful, spending her morning in the bathroom with Sam, cleaning up to just get dirty all over again. They went to practice that day acting perfectly normal, however their vocal performances seemed to have been enhanced. Artie commented how their rendition of Syrup and Honey had greatly improved. They both shrugged and attributed their blending in sound to practice, knowing that whenever they were alone, singing was the last thing either had on their mind. Mercedes was amazed to find herself later Saturday night in Sam and Finn's apartment, having a mini reprieve of their previous night at her place, taking advantage of Finn's absence. When she came home that Sunday morning she was walking cautiously sore. She forced herself to church that morning however, feeling that she needed to repent for at least some of the things they'd done that weekend, making sure to change her sheets before she left.

"So, no dates I take it" Dorothy questioned, quirking her eyebrow in an inquisitive manner.

"No" Mercedes shrugged not at all sorry how she spent her time although she was fully aware her mother disapprove.

"Oh that's right" Dorothy smirked "I forgot you have totally given up on dating"

"I have not" Mercedes refuted putting down her fork to give her grinning mother her full attention.

"Oh baby, yes you have" Dorothy chuckled at the sheer denial and naivety of her daughter.

"No. I haven't" Mercedes sat back folding her arms over her large chest. "I've just taken a break from it. When I'm ready I fully intend on going back to dating"

Dorothy shook her head in disbelief. "So let me ask you something, are you still sleeping with Sam?"

"Not that it is any of your business, but yes we may still have our arrangement" Mercedes answered honestly with her head high but afraid to fully commit to an answer.

"And you are giving it up to him with the promise of only being friends? No chance of ever being together?" Dorothy quizzed.

"Yes Mamma. We are friends who occasionally end up in bed together. But we both agreed to just be friends" Mercedes confirmed. She felt no reason to lie because what she and Sam where doing was not a crime, or wrong. They both went into it with their eyes wide open, as two consenting adults.

"Then baby girl, you have totally given up on dating" Dorothy chuckled as she speared an asparagus, biting into it.

"No. I haven't" Mercedes stood her ground genuinely believing her stance.

Dorothy sighed at the stubbornness of her daughter. "Baby, let me put it in a way you may understand. Let's say you're a baker, who has a specialty cookie that you can only sell to only one distributor."

"Wait" Mercedes sat up becoming engaged into her mother's conversation "I'm a baker and only bake one kind of cookie? That makes no sense"

"Yes it does Mercedes" Dorothy sighed

"No it doesn't. That is a horrible business model ma. I mean how do I plan to stay in business if I only have one kind of cookie to sell?"

"Mercedes, look for the sake of this scenario you only make one kind of cookie okay?" Dorothy sighed wishing her child didn't have her analytical streak for the first time in her life. "You only make one kind of cookie and are contracted to only one distributor who only gives you 15% of the sales from your cookies"

"So wait" Mercedes interrupted "I gave one person a sole distribution deal for my specialty cookies? That is a horrible business move. I mean if I only sale on kind of cookie why would I do that?"

"Damn it Mercedes" Dorothy sighed pinching the bridge of her nose "Can you wait until I'm done with the scenario before you attempt to shoot it down" she pleaded. "Now for the last time you're a baker who specializes in one kind of cookie. And you can only sell that cookie to only one distributor. And that one distributor only gives you 15% of the sales from your cookies. If another distributor where to come a long that was willing to give you 50% to 75% of the sales, but because you're stuck with the distributor only giving you 15% you are losing out on a chance to increase your revenues. You see what I'm getting at?"

"Not at all" Mercedes sighed already bored with the conversation, wishing that her mother would hurry up and get to the point of her story.

"Well your Sam is the 15% distributor. And if you meet a guy willing to get into a full fledged relationship with you, you can't cause your too busy giving your cookie away for not even half of what it is worth. And for what? You're not going to get a relationship Sam. You said yourself, you two are just friends. So all you have is a friend who will most likely move on within a few months after he has… well eaten all of your revenue for himself, so to speak" Dorothy reasoned. "So yes Mercedes, whether you are willing to admit it or not, you have given up on dating, and finding an actual relationship" she closed out raising her glass in a toast like manner before taking a sip of water.

The rest of their dinner was shared in silence as Dorothy enjoyed the rest of her food, while Mercedes weighed out what her mother had just explained to her.

Mercedes went to sleep that night on her couch, giving her mother her bed, the only one in the apartment. And although she was tired, sleep refused to come to her. She tossed and turned as she kept playing her mother's scenario over and over again in her head. She hated admitting it, but her mother was right, Mercedes had inadvertently given up on dating and ultimately given up on finding a real love. As she forcefully fluffed her pillow, flinging herself back down on it, she huffed and decided to rectify the situation she had inadvertently found herself in, although it made her nervous to do so.

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><p>Sam's Monday started out as a total surprise as he was beckoned into the head publisher's brightly painted office. The same man who had turned down his comic initially finding it lacked a certain epic quality.<p>

"Evans, why didn't you tell me you had such amazing ideas for your comic" he questioned Sam as he sat down behind his hipster decorated desk, which included a bevy of action figures and other hodge podge. That's when Sam learned his comic had created quite an underground buzz over the weekend. He'd only given Steven the link the site. But unknown to him, Steven gave a few of his friends the link who then posted it on various comic message boards. Once it was said and done his site had received over a hundred thousand hits, which was amazing considering it was a beta version. Sam had been so preoccupied with his extra curricular activities that he'd forgotten to check the sites hit counter. "Evans" his boss grinned "This has the chance to become as epic as Twilight or the Hunger Games" his boss beamed "And we have to be apart of it"

Lather that evening, after a long day of strategy meetings, and calling in Finn to talk to his higher ups about his amazing web designs Sam was beat but extremely excited for his impending future. But a small smile crept across his face when he received a text from Mercedes during one of his meetings, requesting to meet her at a bar not far from his office. He was excited to tell her just how her idea had just advanced his career. And, if he were being honest with himself, he had to admit he missed her, and was sad he couldn't spend his Sunday evening hanging out with her.

Walking into the bar, Sam quickly scanned the room until he found Mercedes sitting at the bar, her back towards the door. Straightening his tie, he walked over to her, placing his hand on her waist, he whispered "Come here often"

Mercedes jumped at his touch, which frightened her. But once she heard his voice she knew it was her friend. She turned with a relieved smile, lightly whacking him on his arm stating "Don't do that" with a chuckle.

"Hey been here long?" he asked settling into the chair next to her.

"Long enough to order you a bourbon" she smiled as she slid the glass towards him remembering that it was his drink of choice.

"Well I see you've also almost finished you Chocolate-tini" he chuckled indicating to the bar tender she would need another when she felt the hostess tap her on the shoulder to get her attention.

"We have a table ready for you" the petite woman smiled as she began to usher to couple. They took their drinks with them as they headed to their seats.

"Thanks for meeting me" Mercedes smiled as she took her seat once Sam pulled out for her.

"Hey no problem" he smiled sliding the chair under her. He took his messenger bag from around his shoulders, placing on his chair back. He slid down into his seat adding "I have some great news I wanted to share with you any way"

"Oh okay, what's up" finding his information was a great way to stall.

"Well you know the site Finn and I worked on all last week, the one I told you I sent Stevie a link to the beta design?" Sam questioned bringing his bourbon to his lips.

"Yeah" Mercedes leaned in.

"Well he sent a link to some friends who loved it enough to post it to some message boards, and although it needs a lot of work before the official site is released, the buzz around it blew up this weekend" he grinned. "So much so, it got back to my bosses and they want to not only want to publish my comic, but buy the site too"

"Oh Sam" Mercedes exclaimed cover her mouth. "That's amazing!" she hopped grabbing his hand across the table, giving it a congratulatory squeeze.

"Yeah, I've been in meetings all day working everything out" Sam grinned. "They even had me call in Finn to find out if he wants a permanent position as the technology head. I mean I know he loves the freedom he has as a freelancer, but they offered him a job"

"Alright Finn" Mercedes grinned making a mental note to contact him to congratulate him personally.

"Oh and there is more" Sam smiled widely excited to get to the best part. "They want to have a party to celebrate the announcement of the site, and my comic sometime after the fourth. So I slipped them your card, you know for PR and party planning and stuff"

Mercedes sat stunned. "Oh Sammy" she grinned "Thank you" she stated in an almost disbelieving tone. "This is amazing"

"Yeah" Sam smiled "I figured if they were going to do it for my comic, I might as well go with someone I trust, and who actual cares about the project" he shrugged. "Since it was all your idea"

"Oh Sam, it was your vision" Mercedes waived off "I just lit the spark"

"Well whatever you're willing to take credit for, I jus t hope you're ready. I can be a very demanding client" He joked knowing full well he will go along willingly with whatever she planned.

"Yeah right, trust I've probably had way worse clients" She smiled. "Thanks again though Sam. I really mean it" she beamed.

"Okay enough with me, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Sam questioned taking another drink.

"Oh right" Mercedes sighed sitting back in her chair "That. Well I wanted to say that I've really enjoyed our arrangement" she shyly smiled. She noticed their waitress headed for them and took the last sip of her drink handing her glass to the woman while she placed a fresh on in front of Mercedes. "You're a great friend" she added after waiting the woman to leave to give them privacy again.

"_But_" Sam questioned leaning in, feeling that it was the next word to be used by Mercedes

"But, I think I'm ready to date again" Mercedes huffed. "And I can't do that if I'm giving you my cookies" she sighed.

"Wait what? Cookies?" Sam asked confused

"Oh well I can't do that if I'm still sleeping with you" she clarified. "So I think its time we stop and try, you know, dating people"

"Oh" Sam sighed sitting back. He had honestly become comfortable in his arrangement with Mercedes and was blind sighed by her revelation. "No, yeah, you're right" he agreed with a shrug looking down at his drink.

"Yeah I mean I have healed since my break up with Shane. And you haven't even tried to date anyone since you've been here" Mercedes shrugged. "I think it's time we got back out there and see what is possible"

"Yeah you're right" Sam agreed. "You know what? I think I'll try it right now" Sam sat up.

"What? Right now?" Mercedes questioned caught off guard by his new resolve.

"Yeah, I mean why not?" He shrugged. "I mean you said we need to try seeing people, so why wait. Seize the day, and all that jazz. And plus how my day is going I might get luck" Sam quickly scanned the room, locating a woman standing alone at the bar. "And there is my first try" he pointed at her. Taking a large final swig of his bourbon for liquid courage, he stood up, straightened his tie. "Wish me luck" he huffed as he made a bee line to his newly acquired target.

"Go- good luck" Mercedes stammered as she looked at the woman Sam was headed towards. She was a tall leggy woman, about 5'8, with a thin frame. Her hair was long mix of tight and wavy curls, in a dishwater blond shade, mixed with bright sun kissed highlights that played nicely against her tanned skin. She was the opposite of Mercedes in every physical way. And for some reason this slightly up set her. "Why?" she wondered as she watched him approach the woman. "We're just friend" she reasoned. But she couldn't tare her eyes off of them as they interacted, Sam smiling, while the woman giggled carefree, lightly touching his arm as she did. Mercedes quickly gulped her drink, raising her hand ordering both of them another round.

Sam, after about three minutes of talking headed back over the table. Mercedes quickly scrambled, pulling out her phone pretending to fiddle with it, and not like she'd been watching the two of them like a hawk. "Well" Sam huffed as he pulled out his chair and plopped down into his seat.

"Well" Mercedes echoed "how'd it go?" she shrugged in an attempt to look nonchalant.

"Well, her name is Lidia. She is originally from Germany, but has recently moved to the states. She is a model"

"Obviously" Mercedes remarked in a tone that bordered on snarky

"She is 23" Sam continued "and…" he looked around scanning the room. Mercedes did the same wondering what he was looking for. "Oh there she is" Sam smiled as he spotted the target for his search. Both watched as an equally tall and thin woman with dark brown skin, a shade darker than Mercedes, and a head full of large and curly natural hair, walked up to Lydia. She wrapped her arms around the other woman's waist, nuzzling into her closely. Lydia turned to the woman, smiling broadly, and passionately kissing her. "And that is Chrisette, Lydia's fiancé "Sam smiled. "She is originally from South Africa but grew up in France. She is also a model and they moved here together to get legally married."

Mercedes began to giggle at Sam's misfortune and how his first try at picking up a woman in New York turned out. "Oh, I'm sorry Sam" she chuckled at the irony.

"Hey don't feel too sorry for me" Sam shrugged laughing. "Lydia asked for my card for when they are ready to conceive. She said with Chrisette's bone structure, my lips and eyes, and her womb, we would all make a beautiful child"

Mercedes laughed even harder. "Oh wow. So are you going to take them up on it?"

"I politely declined" Sam smirked. "One it wouldn't happen the old fashion way" he winked in a joking manner causing Mercedes to roll her eyes. "And secondly, I always intended my wife to be the only mother of my children"

"Oh" she smiled warmly.

"Well your turn" Sam smirked.

"Wait what? My turn?" Mercedes looked up as the waitress replaced their drinks again

"Yeah, I went for it. And this is your idea" Sam shrugged

"Okay" she agreed as she scanned the room for a suitable candidate.

"What about him" Sam smiled pointing to a man who would best be described as looking like an accountant. And not an accountant like Puck, but a Willie Lowman type character complete with ugly tie and already receding hairline due to stress.

"Ugh, no thanks" Mercedes chuckled as she continued to look around the room. She spotted an olive skinned man with dark brown hair slicked back, sitting by himself at the end of the bar.

"Who him?" Sam questioned

"Yeah" Mercedes stood up. She quickly scanned his left ring finger. Finding no ring she quickly took a sip of her drink, smoothed out her pencil skirt and headed over to the man.

"I guess if you like that type" Sam shrugged as he watched his friend approach the stranger. He watched them closely as Mercedes sat down next to him and shook his hand. Sam suddenly felt his stomach drop as he noticed a glint of interest in the man's eyes. He couldn't describe why but he knew off the bat he didn't like the guy, and watched him closely to make sure he didn't get too handsy with Mercedes. He became nervous as Mercedes batted her eyes at the guy. Sam took a generous gulp of bourbon fighting the urge to approach the couple. That's when he saw them pull out their phones, one by one typing on their screens. Sam heart raced but he told himself "she's not yours Sam. You guys are just friends"

After five minutes Mercedes finally headed back to the table, wearing a large grin. Sam turned around quickly acting like he didn't notice she had been gone for the length of time she had been. When she made it back to the table she slowly sank down into her seat. "How'd it go?" Sam questioned appearing unphased.

"Well" Mercedes smiled as her eyes trained on her new friend as he left the bar giving her a quick nod as he did. "His name is Greg. He is 28 and a school teacher"

"So his school on a summer day? No class?" Sam joked. "What?" he question when he was meet with an unimpressed look on Mercedes face "It's an old joke" he shrugged.

"Anyway" she waived off "he teaches Latin at a prep school, and is in graduate school" she grinned. "And he wants to take me out tomorrow night"

"So soon? Sounds insane to me" Sam shrugged again

"Whatever" Mercedes waived as she smiled down at Greg's number in her phone. "I have a date tomorrow" she beamed.

"And he had no problem with the fact that you were at a table with someone?" Sam quizzed

"Oh he asked about you" Mercedes shrugged. "I told him you were my newly out bestie. He actually has a cousin he claimed would be perfect for you" she giggled.

"Funny" Sam hissed causing her to laugh harder.

The two finished their final round of drinks with small talk, however Sam appeared a bit withdrawn from the conversation. When they were finished both headed out into the warm mid summer evening air. "Well" Sam smiled weakly.

"Yeah I'll see you in a couple of days I guess" Mercedes sighed. She had honestly gotten used to spending her evenings with him.

"Yeah" he agreed. "Call me when you get home to let me know you're safe" he reminded as he gave her a church like hug.

"Uh yeah" she agreed as she tried to ignore the awkward tension that had sprung up between them. "We're still good right?" Mercedes asked as she pulled away, looking into the blonde's eyes.

"Oh yeah" Sam reassured "Of course, we're still friends aren't we?' he asked oddly unsure of the answer deep down.

"Yeah" Mercedes agreed but as she walked away. Yet she still couldn't shake a weird shift in their relationship.

* * *

><p><strong>Just when we were becoming friends I had to go and do this huh? *hangs head* <strong>

**Her mother is a hot mess BUT she does speak the truth. **

**BUT WAIT: I wanted to get you guy's feelings on something. I started a chapter about the weekend they spent together and wanted to know if you want me to finish it OR to just leave this chapter where it currently is? It would just be little flashes of what they did. (The new chapter would be 17 and this one would move to 18). Just drop me a line to let me know (PM or Review).**


	18. Chapter 18: Date 1

**Hi. I would like to thanks everyone for the favs. and follows for this story and Me as a writer. Thanks for the love. And for my reviewers thanks so much for giving me your thoughts on everything. So as suggested I decided to go ahead with the story but give you little tid bits of what happened that lost weekend as flash backs. You guys are so smart! Thanks a lot btw. And I love that you love my writing. And no BerelainHawk I wasn't nervous about the Misery reference... as long as my ankle is safe its all good :0) LOL **

**So the next few chapters will be shorter but give insight on how these two are doing now that Mercedes is dating someone new. So they will go by dates with this new guy Greg. **

**So as always: Read, Enjoy, and Review (I do read them all)**

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><p><em><strong>Date 1: Initial Introduction<strong>_

_Sam woke up with a stretch and a smile as he sat up in Mercedes bed. The sun was bright and shining, while the rest of the city buzzed around outside. Swinging his legs out of her bed Sam stood up straight, tugging at his boxers, as he wondered where his host had run off to. He softly padded to her bathroom, where he found her robed, and brushing her teeth. He slid in behind her, looking at her face in her mirror, smiling as he greeted her with a chipper "Morning"_

"_Morning" she replied, hers muffled by her toothbrush and the suds it was working up against the enamel of her teeth._

"_Got another one?" he questioned nodding to her toothbrush as he watched her behind sway back and forth from the force of her arm working over her teeth. Wordlessly she reached into her medicine cabinet pulling out a new one still in its packaging. "Thanks" he smiled "wasn't sure you had an extra" he shrugged as he opened it._

_Spitting she shrugged "Daughter of a dentist. Old habits die hard" She passed him her tube of toothpaste allowing him to cover his brush head before bringing it to his mouth._

_She rinsed her mouth out, and pulled out her face wash while Sam stood silently behind her taking care of his oral hygiene. The two took care of their tasks, sharing the room's single sink. Once he was finished brushing, Sam slid next to Mercedes, turned on the faucet, and rinsed, quickly sliding over to allow her to rinse the wash off of her face. He handed her a towel to dry her face, seeing she needed assistance as she blindly felt for one. "Thanks" she sighed as she dried her eyes first, then the rest of her face._

"_No problem" he smiled "Hey can you do me a favor?"_

"_What's up?" she questioned as she placed toner on a cotton ball before swapping it over her clean skin._

"_How'd I do?" he asked leaning in before huffing a breath in her face. _

"_You're good" she chuckled, a bit confused by his actions_

"_Let me check you" he nodded_

"_I'm sure I'm good" she looked at him laughing_

"_How do you know?" he quizzed as he raised his eyebrows _

_Mercedes huffed, slightly annoyed by his claim that she didn't know how to thoroughly clean her mouth. As Sam leaned in to her face she rolled her eyes, as she opened her mouth to huff in his face. Once her lips parted however, Sam pressed his lips to hers, quickly slipping her the tongue. He pulled her in close by her waist as he leaned her against the wall, near the door. She placed her hand at the nape of his neck tugging at his hair. _

"_You're good" he smiled pulling away from her face, standing up straight, allowing his morning erection to grind against her. _

"_Oh, I see what you want" she giggled_

"_Yep, so don't move" he smiled as he ran to her bedside table to retrieve a golden condom. _

_When he left, Mercedes quickly turned to the mirror, fixing her bangs in the reflection, and puckering her lips, when she felt a slight smack on her ass. "Hey" she pouted looking up at the culprit in the mirror "what was that for?"_

_Reaching around her, Sam opened her robe, exposing her nude body. He lifted the back of the robe over her ass, as he parted her legs. Leaning in with a grin as he secured the condom on his manhood, he pressed her against the sink with a chuckle as he pressed his lips to the top of her ear. Staring in her eyes through the mirror, he positioned himself to penetrate her, pointing out "you moved"_

"Sam?" Finn called to him from the door of Sam's room. Sam opened his eyes, being pulled from his thoughts, hoping what he was thinking about didn't show on his face or in his slacks.

"Uh, what's up Finn?" Sam questioned, sitting up in his bed. He was still in his work clothes from earlier that day, so exhausted from the past two days of meetings, and work, collapsing on his bed without even taking off his tie.

"I grabbed us some food, if you're hungry?" Finn mentioned, nodding towards the kitchen.

"Oh, thanks man" Sam cleared his throat as he swung his feet to the floor. "I'll be there in a minute" he said checking the time near his bed adding "I just have to make a phone call"

"Sure" Finn shrugged as he headed back to his food.

Sam grabbed his phone off of its charger, and quickly called Mercedes.

"Hello?" she picked up on the second ring.

"Oh good" Sam smiled "Since you answered I take it your friend isn't a serial killer"

"Ha ha" Mercedes laughed sarcastically

"No, I'm just calling to see how your date went last night, that's all" Sam lightened his tone

"It was actually one of the better first dates I've had" Mercedes answered honestly in an almost surprised tone. She had just gotten in from work, and was in the process of getting out of her work clothes when Sam called. She slid off her rings and bangles as she sat on her bed adding "Greg was pretty nice"

"Is he as short as he looks?" Sam questioned jokingly "Because when he was sitting at the bar he looked, I don't know, squat"

"No" Mercedes answered turning up her face in an attempt to remember how he looked sitting at the bar the night she met him. "He's around your height actually"

"Oh so he just has bad posture, got it" he shrugged. "Well what did you two do" Sam questioned as he loosened his tie, quickly slipping it off of his neck, and began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Well we went to dinner" she smiled

"What kind of restaurant?" he interrupted as he slid his shoes off.

"Thai" she huffed as she slid her heels off.

"Wow, that's a risky move" Sam laughed as he undid the buttons on his cuffs

"Why?" she asked sitting up on her bed

"Because, spicy food, on a first date? He must have an iron stomach because of the sheer possibility for digestion problems" Sam explained. "No farting?"

"No Sam" she laughed, shocked he even asked "No farting"

"I'm just saying" Sam shrugged as he slid his shirt off.

"Anyway" Mercedes laughed rolling her eyes. "We had dinner and pretty great conversation" she explained as she unbuttoned her button down shirt. "He is in grad school for administration, because he wants to run a prep school, you know be a principle or a head master, whatever it's called. He loves kids, and his work. He said it makes his day to help kids realize their dreams" she grinned thinking back to how sincere he looked as he said that. Sam paused a moment, before making a snoring like sound indicating that he was bored. "Sam!" Mercedes laughed.

"What, oh I'm sorry. That conversation sounds riveting" Sam chuckled sarcastically. "I mean come on 'Cede, he gave you pageant answers. Does he wish for world peace too?" Sam joked.

"Whatever Sam" Mercedes fought a laugh. "He was interesting."

"Well get to that part, because he's boring me" Sam sighed as he slid his pants off.

"Okay, well he is fresh out of a long term relationship" Mercedes thought as she unzipped her skirt, allowing it to fall to the floor.

"Okay, this is the good part" Sam smiled. "How did that go?"

"Well he said they mutually decided that after four years, they were better as friends. So now he's ready to try again after being single for four months" She smiled

"Yep, still boring me" Sam shrugged as he hopped into his sweats.

"Well what do you want me to say?" Mercedes sighed as she slipped into her sweat pants "It was a first date, and I would be creeped out if he got all personal right off the bat"

"I don't know but you have to give him better questions or something, because so far your date recap has been like watching grass grow" Sam shrugged.

"Well I will think of some by tomorrow night" Mercedes smiled quickly adding "Because we are going out"

"Oh well hopefully in that time he has some type of adventure or something. Because right now? Yawn" Sam laughed.

"Whatever" Mercedes laughed "what did you do last night since we are being so critical?"

"Well Finn, Puck and I went to a bar if you must know" Sam smiled

"Wow, how exciting" she said sarcastically

"Actually it was. Puck insisted on playing my wing man. I met a puppeteer, a therapist , and an biker chick" Sam smiled

"All at the same place?" Mercedes questioned "Where in the hell did you guys go?"

"I don't know, it was some place Puck suggested" Sam shrugged

"Oh, I can only guess" Mercedes shook her head. "Well meet any prospects?" she questioned sliding on her tank top.

"Well, no" Sam answered honestly "But when I do meet someone, she will defiantly be more interesting that Greg the bore"

"Yeah right, whatever" Mercedes laughed. "Well I got to go"

"Yeah, Finn got us food, so I have to go too."

"Thanks for checking on me though" Mercedes smiled

"No problem buddy" Sam smiled "talk to ya later?"

"Yep" she agreed as she hung up her phone.

* * *

><p><strong>So Sammy is throwing shade already huh? LOL. <strong>


	19. Chapter 19: Date 2

**Hi. Thank you so much for following and faving my story and my mental musings as a writer. You guys are so sweet. And to my reviewer, thanks so much! I'm so happy you guys are enjoying the story so far. I so love reading your feelings about the story, and how these two are getting along. **

**So this update is picking up where we left off. Mercedes is dating and Sam… well he's trying (bless his heart lol) I hope you enjoy. It's another shorty. **

**Oh and I don't own Glee, or Friends with Benefits. Just a reminder.**

**So as always: Read, Enjoy, and Review…**

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><p><em><strong>Date 2: First Impressions<strong>_

"_You sure this is okay?" Mercedes questioned as she followed Sam into the apartment he shared with Finn._

"_Yeah" Sam smiled as he reassured her again. "He and Rachel are on this whole "make up" time thing. He won't be back until like tomorrow night"_

"_Yeah, last time you said that I had to lie when he walked in early" she huffed as she removed her bag from across her body, tossing it on the counter of the breakfast bar. _

"_Yeah and you did that convincingly" Sam snorted as he grabbed a bottle of chilled Vodka out of the freezer. They had both just left their Saturday practice with the rest of the New Directions. It was a long session, that ended with the group going out for a quick bite to eat afterward, and being met by some of the group members significant others. Sam texted Mercedes that Finn would be out and if she wanted she could come by his place for a drink. She replied it was a plan. They acted as if they were going to their respective residences, taking two cabs, meeting at Sam's front door. _

"_Hey" she pointed at him as he reached into the refrigerator taking out a soda and a juice for her to choice as her mixer. She pointed to the juice adding "I'm not that great under pressure" she giggled._

_Sam laughed "Obviously" as he mixed them a drink. They sat on his couch and chatted as they drank. One drink turned into three, and before they knew it, both were a bit tipsy from the heavy handed concoctions Sam created. Before they knew it, an intimate game of "I've Never" had broken out._

"_Okay, okay" Mercedes laughed "I've never done it in a car" _

_Sam rolled his eyes as he took a large gulp of his drink. "Come on" he sighed, feeling the effects of the liquor in his system. "That is like a right of passage for a teenager. How can you have never been in a car?" he asked in slight disbelief._

"_I just never have" she shrugged giggling "It seems, I don't know, cramped"_

"_It is actually quite comfortable" he shrugged as the thought of her ass pressed against a horn, beeping it repeatedly with every thrust._

"_We'll see" she shrugged. "I guess I thought I was too old to find out" _

"_Never too old for some back seat loving" he chuckled. "Okay my turn, I have never…" he paused, giving himself time to come up with a good one. "Oh, I've never been dominated. Like tied down or restrained" Mercedes giggled and took a drink. "Naughty girl" Sam laughed._

"_What?" she shrugged."I'm not a total good girl"_

"_Did you like it?" he questioned intrigued by her admission._

"_What being dominated?" she asked her head a bit fuzzy "I have to admit. I was kind of into it"_

"_I don't think I could be" he looked off into the room. _

"_It wasn't all like whips and ball gags when I did it" she laughed. "It can be low key." She smiled lightly as she slid closer to him on the couch._

"_So you've dominated before or something?" he questioned, his southern drawl becoming more noticeable with the more alcohol he consumed._

"_Yeah" she shrugged leaning in close to him. She placed her drink on the coffee table in front of them, saying "Let me try something" With that she pressed her lips to his, kissing him deeply. Sam instinctively reached for her body, only to have his hands smacked away. "No touching" she smiled as she pulled away from him, looking at him seriously. She reached in again, kissing Sam, this time snaking her tongue into his mouth. The kiss deepened and once again, Sam instinctively reached for her body. She stopped abruptly, repeating "No touching"_

_Sam huffed in frustration from not getting his way. Mercedes smiled as she pushed him down on the couch, quickly straddling him. She then took his hands, pinning them over his head by his wrist. "Hey, I thought it was no touching?" he smirked, physically turned on with just how rough she'd been._

"_Yeah. For you, there is no touching" she smirked, placing more of her weight on his hands, holding him down. _

"_I can break this hold easily" he announced, his eyebrow lifting._

"_I know you can, but you won't" she replied confidently._

"_What makes you so sure?" he asked raising his head slightly_

"_Because" she shrugged "you're too interested to see where this goes" she smiled, grinding her pelvis against his erection. "So we're going to play by my rules tonight" she demanded, licking her lips. She reached in kissing his neck, running her tongue over his skin, nibbling lightly on his earlobe. "And we'll start" she informed him in a low and sultry whisper that ran down his spine "with you saying my name"_

Mercedes drifted back from her daydream, focusing back onto the board in front of her that had the color pallet and some cool ice sculpture samples, and their artist card next to them. She quickly grabbed her phone pressing a few buttons on her screen.

Sam sighed as he went over a pile of papers in front of him. It was the feedback from a test group of readers, giving suggestions on his comic, from everything from his story telling style, character development, to the characters themselves and their over all believability. They all seemed to start the same: "We love it but…" It became wearing to read through all of the criticisms but was necessary to improve his work. Or so he told himself. Suddenly, as he was going through a particularly brutal assessment of his work, Sam's phone rang.

"Hello?" He answered as he sank back into the couch

"Hey" Mercedes smiled "busy?"

"If you call being creatively castrated by test group critics being busy then yeah" he sighed. "But I really could use a break. What's up?"

"Nothing" Mercedes shrugged. "I just noticed it was Friday and I wanted to see what you were up to" They normally spent the other group members date night together, but now that Mercedes was dating Greg, she had an opportunity to spend her Fridays on an actual date.

"Work, that's all I've really been up to" Sam pouted starting to feel slightly overwhelmed by his new found popularity in his office.

"Yeah, speaking of which I got the budget for the party" Mercedes smiled. "They are really into you" she said impressed his company was willing to put so much money into a celebration of his comic.

"Oh I'm paying for it now" Sam reassured her. "With the amount of work I have now, they are making sure every penny is very well spent"

"Oh poor thing" she sympathized.

"Hey, don't worry. I'd rather this than the alternative, which is not working at all" He shrugged quietly counting his blessings. "So how was date number two with George? And why aren't you two out now?"

"Greg?" Mercedes corrected him.

"Yeah Greg, the human Ambien" Sam joked "How is he?"

"Well, he had something to take care of tonight, and I'm here organizing everything for your party so we just decided we would go out tomorrow night, you know after practice. But date number two was another good date. We did dinner again, and a movie" She smiled.

"Well did you find out anything new and interesting about him" Sam probed "You two looked…chummy yesterday when he picked you up from practice"

"He is not boring at all actually" she smiled happy that Sam had pushed her to ask more exiting questions. "He actually has lived a pretty exciting life. He travels a lot. Just last year he went on a safari in Africa and the year before that he traveled to Nepal"

"Well, looks like you're dating a regular Indiana Jones" Sam joked. "He have a boy servant named Short Round too?"

"No" Mercedes laughed "But he is looking into going to Australia this winter"

"Well if you two are still together, you know if he hasn't bored you to death by then, you can go with him" Sam suggested. "You know go pet a Dingo or something"

"Yeah we'll see" she smiled at the though of a romantic vacation with her hopefully then boyfriend. "I'm just hoping he and I can make it until the fourth so I won't be dragged to the Hamptons with my mother and her friends and their son" Mercedes sighed. "The city will be so dead here that weekend, but I really don't want to be stuck with them all holiday, while my mother plays Patti Stanger with my love life"

"Well, then for your sanity I hope you stay with him through the holiday. If you can stay awake that long" Sam sighed.

"He is not boring" Mercedes insisted. "I have to get us all together so you can see for yourself. Or maybe we can double date if you ever get around to finding a girl" she suggested.

"I would love to subject a girl to the bore that is Greg but only if she's an insomniac" Sam smiled "And I'll have you know I met a girl just last night" Sam defended himself "Her name was Katarina"

"Oh" Mercedes said lightly. "Well what's her deal, and why are you holding out on me?"

"Well" Sam sighed as he replayed his encounter in his head "I went out for a drink last night after work alone. And with the day I had I needed it" he recalled. "And she came up to me at the bar. She seemed nice enough. She explained her name was Katarina, she was 25, and originally from California, but was a recent transplant here, like me. She is a play write hoping to make it big with some play she wrote"

"Well" Mercedes wondered "she sounds… interesting"

"Yeah that's what I thought, so I invited back to my place"

"Oh, so soon?" Mercedes questioned.

"Yeah, just to talk though. It was loud and crowded at the bar and I was trying have a real conversation" Sam pressed his fingers at the bridge of his nose.

"So what happened?" Mercedes sensed they hit a speed bump.

"She came over and we talked for like an hour on the couch. It was a pretty solid conversation too about our future plans and expectations of the city. She seemed like such a sweet and laid back girl. Until my phone rang"

"What?" Mercedes nosed scrunched

"My mom called to update me about what was going on with them. So when I asked her to put Stacy on the phone, Katarina flipped like instantly" Sam sat up. "She was all "who the hell is Stacy? Is that your girlfriend?" and acting really-"

"Nuts?" Mercedes finished

"Well yeah, for lack of a better word, nuts. I explained that Stacy is my little sister, and then she demanded I put it on speaker phone to prove I wasn't lying." Sam shuddered.

"Did you?" Mercedes asked, her mouth wide unable to believe a woman when that ballistic instantly.

"Hell no!" Sam huffed "I got off the phone and politely asked her to vacate the premises. She tried to apologize and explain she'd been hurt before and whatever, but the damage was done and so was I" Sam closed his eyes and rubbed his temple with his free hand. "I mean how can I date you and you instantly don't trust me?"

"Wow, I'm sorry Sam. Yikes" Mercedes sighed, feeling genuinely bad for her friend.

"Yeah well, the crazy part was that she sent a letter to my job. And then flowers tonight to my apartment. I'm not sure but I think I may have a stalker" Sam said nervously "I'm just lucky she left before we exchanged numbers"

"Well I wouldn't worry about that, if she was a good stalker, she would already have it" Mercedes joked. Suddenly, her other line beeped in, signifying she had another call. "Sorry Sam I have to go, its Greg" she sighed.

"Oh, yeah" he agreed "go ahead, I need to get back to work anyway"

"See you tomorrow?" she asked apologetically, sorry she had to cut their conversation short.

"Of course pal" he smiled weakly. "Night"

"Good night Sam" she sighed, taking the phone away from her ear, and pressing her screen to answer her other call. "Hello? Greg?" she answered with a large smile.

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><p><strong>I told you they had a hot weekend. It was… yeah one of those lol. Greg is sounding a bit more interesting huh? And poor Sammy has his first stalker. LOL. Have you, dear readers, ever had that one person who didn't get the hint that you weren't interested but insisted on perusing you in a creepy and slightly obsessed way? <strong>

**I did in high school my senior year. I told him I was going to a baseball game and he showed up thinking that me informing him where I was going was an invitation to meet me there. Wouldn't have been bad if it wasn't my BOYFRIEND'S game. Yeah the stalker guy creeped me out. And before you asked NO I didn't give him my number that was the handy work of my best friend. **


	20. Chapter 20: Date 3

**Hi. Thanks so much for the follows and favorite love I've been getting. I'm happy you like the story or are interested enough to at least follow along with what's going on. And to my lovely reviewers, thanks so much for taking the time out to tell me your opinion of the story. Your input is always appreciated! **

**So yeah, these two are still in friend mode *hears boos* I know I know but I promise you there is a method to my madness. And there is a reason for everything that I write, in this story especially. Everything thing is connected and will come into play later on down the line. I guess I should have informed you of that when I started writing it. It is kind of late to tell you that oh um… 20 chapters in! (Wow 20 already? I didn't think this would get this long and we haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet *winks*) **

**So no I still don't own Glee (but I am thinking of writing my OWN version of season 4 because… well yeah I just can't with the storylines anymore and I really don't plan on watching. I have great stories in mind for the characters and an ideal for a new one lol) or Friends with Benefits. **

**As I always ask of my readers, please **

**Read, Enjoy, and Review **

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><p><em><strong>Date 3: New Realizations<strong>_

_Sam rolled over towards the center of the bed to find Mercedes facing him fast asleep. Her lips were slightly parted, a light breeze escaping from them. Before he realized he'd been watching her slumber for a solid two minutes before he brought his hand up to her forehead, brushing some of her hair out of her face. He froze when she stirred, snuggling deeper into his pillow and sheets. When she regained her steady breathing, he slid out of bed, tip toeing over to his drafting table. He turned on the small desk lamp on, illuminating his small work space. Riffling through random drawing and papers, Sam located the sketch he was looking for. Picking up his pencil he looked over his shoulder at his sleeping guest, making sure not to wake her. Turning back around he continued to work on his special project, which was almost complete._

"Hey Sam, can we go over that riff again?" Artie questioned pulling him out of his daydream.

"Uh, what?" he questioned shaking his head clear to focus on rehearsal.

"The last part" Artie clarified "Right before the bridge"

"Oh, oh yeah sure" he responded placing his hands in place, ready to play.

He played the section of the song again as Mercedes belted out the chorus of Chaka's Sweet Thing. He'd had very little sleep, deciding to stay up finishing reading through his test group critiques. When he finally reached his bed, he was exhausted, and questioning his talents, and if he should even continue to write along with other issues plaguing him. But his early morning get together with the guys to play extreme Frisbee in the park proved to be fruitful and helped him come to certain conclusions. And although he had reached some clarity, lack of sleep had him fuzzy and a bit lethargic by the end of practice.

"Mercedes" Kurt called through the intercom, causing everyone in the recording area to look up. "You have a guest" he sang lightly, grinning widely. Right behind him stood Greg, dressed in a crisp white dress shirt and kakis. He smiled kindly and waived at Mercedes who blushed and waived back as she made her way towards her visitor.

"So that's him?" Finn questioned under his breath as he made his way into the studio area.

"That's him" Puck smiled, as he cracked his knuckles following close behind.

"Hey" she smiled warmly as she embraced Greg, reaching up on her toes to hug him around his neck. "Everyone" she turned to her band mates smiling "This is Greg. Greg this is… well everyone" she giggled lightly.

Greg smiled lightly to the eyes sizing him up in the studio. After a moment Finn stepped forward, using his height advantage over the new comer. He looked down on the slightly shorter man a slightly intimidating manner, breathing quietly through his nose. Suddenly a warm smile graced his face as he reached his hand out in a greeting gesture. "Hey man" he perked up "I'm Finn"

One by one the group introduced themselves. Brittney, who showed up a bit before Greg arrived to escort Santana home, closed her introduction out by taking a quick whiff of Greg. She then looked back at Mercedes and into Greg's eyes. She squinted and shook her head as she made was for the next introduction. However, Santana making the biggest impression by asking Greg how much Olive Oil he used in his hair before gracing them with his presents adding "I love it on my bread sticks so if you have any extra I could use some". Her question garnered a snicker from the room, a confused look from Greg and a pinch from Mercedes as she apologized for her friends off color sense of humor. "That's Santana" she nervously laughed hoping he wouldn't be too offended "she the little devil on my shoulder"

Greg just shrugged, cooling, lightly laughing off the joke, with a slightly unamused tone.

Sam was the last one to greet him having been there the day they met."Hey" he said smiling as he shook his hand. Mercedes watched closely as the two interacted.

"Hey" Greg smiled, in his deep voice "You where there at the bar"

"Yeah" Sam smirked.

"Yeah, how has the whole "coming out" thing been?" Greg whispered to Sam through his teeth.

"Coming out?" Kurt questioned, over hearing the conversation. More like ease dropping.

"Yeah" Greg said slightly confused as Santana giggled "You're not gay?" he asked turning back to Sam.

"No" Sam said through clinched teeth eyeing Mercedes who was holding back her laughter. "I'm not"

"Well, okay, now that everyone has met" Mercedes broke in herding Greg towards the door. "Let's head out"

The rest of the group followed leaving for the end of practice. They all stood outside of the building chatting, as they normally do before dispersing to their personal destinations. Greg was discussing Latin with Artie who were both attempting to convince Brits that it was totally different from Pig Latin when Sam approached Mercedes from behind.

"I guess he's not so bad" he whispered in her ear. She turned and faced him smiling.

"No, he's not." She shrugged.

"And you look…happy" he said carefully. "Are you? Happy I mean?" He asked looking into her large brown eyes.

"You know what?" she asked having never thought of the question before that moment, actually taking the time to figure out the answer "I am"

Sam sighed lightly and smiled. "Well then I'm happy for you" he said gently touching her arm.

"Thanks" she beamed. "Hey, Greg and I are going to go and grab some food. I would love it if you joined us" she invited cheerfully. "You know get to know each other better"

"Yeah thanks but-"Sam began.

"Sam!" a voice called out to him from a few feet away. Everyone turned to find a petite, raven haired girl smiling and waiving as she walked towards the blond. He waved back, as Mercedes eyes moved from him to the new stranger. "Hey" the girl said sounding breathless as she approached the group. "I wasn't sure I'd be able to find you" she smiled. "Glad you where outside"

"Hey Tiffany" Sam smiled placing his hand gently on her shoulder."Mercedes, this is Tiffany" he said granting introductions. "Tiff, this is Mercedes"

"Hi!" she said perky, smiling brightly

"Hey" Mercedes said slowly a bit confused.

"Hey Hatchet!" Artie laughed as he wheeled his way towards the new girl, granting her a high five when he got there.

"Roller ball!" she giggled greeting him. She looked up and saw Finn and laughed as he made his way to her "and the Wall. How's the ear?" she asked smiling as Mike giggled.

"It's fine" Finn blushed, seemingly embarrassed.

"Uh Roller ball? The Wall?" Mercedes questioned, feeling a bit out of the loop with her own group of friends.

"Oh yeah" Sam laughed lightly "I met Tiff today, you know when the guys and I went to the park to get our "extreme Frisbee" on" he grinned. "Finn had an accident and went down like a pile of bricks"

"Big baby" Artie huffed under his breath while rolling his eyes.

"Hey, I could have been seriously injured" Finn defended himself

"A ladybug flew in your ear" Artie chuckled

"Yeah and left when she found nothing in there" Puck added jokingly patting Finn on the back. "Hatchet" he nodded to Sam's new friend.

"Frosty" she smiled, greeting him back.

"Well anyway, Tiffany saw we had an open spot and volunteered to take over for Finn while he "recuperated"" Sam finished holding back a laugh.

"Yeah" Artie chimed in "And she was amazing too"

"I talked to the guys after the game" she smiled "And found out that they were in a band" she slightly nudged the large mouthed blond. "So I had to find out more, and he was nice enough to ask me for drinks after practice. I would have been here sooner, but I got tied up. I really wanted to hear you guys perform. Sammy had nothing but great things to say about you guys, especially your voice" she smiled at Mercedes. "He said it's a must hear"

"Uh thank you" Mercedes said flattered as she looked over at Sam who shrugged. She looked searching his eyes for a moment when she felt a strong arm drape across her shoulders. "Oh" she jumped looking up at Greg as he situated himself in the group. "Uh Tiffany, this is my friend Greg". She watched as they greeted each other, looking back over to Sam.

"Yeah we better get going" Sam said after a second of silence. "I was going to say earlier when you were inviting me out with you guys" he picked back up on their abandoned conversation "I would like to join you guys but " he said nodding towards Tiffany.

"Oh yeah. Of course" Mercedes said quickly

"Yeah but maybe next time though" he said in a hopeful manner.

"Oh yeah" Mercedes agreed

"Maybe we can double sometime" Tiffany smiled

"Yeah that would be… fun" Mercedes replied.

Sam went around quickly saying his good byes to his band members. When he finally got back to Mercedes he leaned into her ear, whispering "I am really happy for you" He pulled back and gave her a reassuring smile as he lightly touched her upper arm.

"Yeah you too" she reciprocated, pressing a smile against her lips.

"Greg" Sam nodded to him, as he ushered Tiffany down the block to find a restaurant where they could sit and chat. Mercedes watched quietly as they walked away, when she felt Greg lightly grab her by her waist, pulling her towards the opposite direction reminding her "We better get going. We don't want to miss our reservations"

She smiled at him kindly, and walked down the street tucked under his arm, taking a brief second to look back at her friend.

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><p><strong>So okay. Updating may come to a hault on this and my other stories until like ummmm August. Work and studies are dominating my time. I will try to pen things when I can, but this may be the last update for a second. So sorry about that (no really I am cause I LOVE to write) but I may still drop a review of some of my fav. stories here and there. And who knows, I may magically get an hour every few days to pen something new for my stories (I will REALLY try to make it so). <strong>

**Still love you guys though...**


	21. Chapter 21: Date 4 and 5

**Hi! Boy I'm excited! So I want to say thanks for keeping up with this story. And for the people who are new to it, and took the time to catch up welcome and thanks. And thanks to my wonderful reviewers! You guys are the best. **

**So I guess its been a while huh? LOL Well I have time again (Yey) so I took the time to pen a new chapter of this story. Oh how I've missed you guys. I hope you like the new chapter.**

**As I've been asking you guys since the start of this story:**

**Read, Enjoy, and review.**

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><p><em><strong>Date 4 and 5: Late Nights and Early Mornings<strong>_

As the early morning sun light playfully tickled her eyelids, Mercedes stirred from her slumber. She released a soft groan, as she shifted her position on her couch, feeling two large arms tighten around her waist and shoulder. She meticulously opened her lids to find Greg still holding her from where they ended up on her couch from the previous night. She lay there still for a moment, not wanting to wake her guest, as she devised a plan to break the hold he had on her.

After a minute, she delicately placed her hands on both sides of his waist, pushing herself up. She then slithered out of his grasp, snaking her way out of his arms as she slid into a kneeling position. Greg moaned as he shifted towards the back of the couch, absorbing the heat where Mercedes body had been. Standing, she looked at him, stretching while she yawned, and tip toed into the kitchen. She located her coffee pot and grinds, but sighed when she found she was out of filters. She slinked into her bedroom, to find her mother a sleep on her bed, still every much the diva, with a thermal sleep mask over her eyes.

"Mamma" Mercedes whispered, causing her to stir. "Mamma" Dorothy released a small groan as she shifted away from the sound of her daughter's voice, in an attempt to remain in her personal dream world. "Mamma"

"I really though, after a certain age, you and your brother would sleep past a certain hour in the morning, or at least allow me to" she grumbled finally responding to her daughter.

Mercedes chuckled asking "I'm out of filters and going on a coffee run. You want one?"

Dorothy nodded as she slid her sleep mask up to view her daughter leaning against the bedroom doorway. "Is Slick Willy still here?" She mumbled

"If you are referring to Greg, yes, he's still asleep on the couch" Mercedes sighed.

"I hope you put something under that oil slick of a head" Dorothy groaned as she pulled her sleep mask back over her eyes.

"Let me go get your coffee" Mercedes sighed adding "because you are cranky in the morning without it"

"Scotch guard doesn't protect against everything" Dorothy grumbled as she snuggled back into bed.

Mercedes shook her head, sighing while slipping on her shoes. She grabbed her keys and phone, while she stealthily snuck out of the door, past a still slumbering Greg.

She stepped onto the already busy side walk, and pulled out her phone. She instinctively moved her fingers over her screen hoping the numbers owner was already awake.

"Morning Ms. Jones" Sam grinned, sitting up completely from his morning crunches.

"Hey" she smiled, realizing she missed his voice. "I hope I didn't wake you"

"No" he answered as he stood up from the floor adjusting his boxers as he did.

"So, long time no hear from" she said, only partially joking. It had been close to a week since she last spoken to Sam outside of the recoding studio. "What's been up?" She question, in an attempt to sound light hearted, and not accusing as she quickly looked both ways before stepping into the street.

"Uh... Nothing" he shrugged coolly "Just trying to tie up some loose ends before the fourth." Mercedes sighed as she realized Greg and she still hadn't solidified any plans for the holiday, which was only a few days away. "That and just hanging out" he added.

"With Tiffany?" She questioned in a friendly tone. "You two getting...serious?"

"She and I are friends" he answered with a shrug.

Mercedes nodded as she bit her lip, fighting from asking the question if he and Tiffany were the same kind of friends that they were. "Oh" she sighed deciding to take his answer at his word. She walked into the coffee shop across the street from her apartment, smiling and waving at the barista behind the counter, signaling she wanted 3 coffees.

"So how are you and Greg" he asked after a pause.

"Oh yeah we're okay" Mercedes shrugged. "In actually getting us some coffee right now" she quickly added.

"He slept over?" Sam asked, quickly regretting the tone.

"Yeah" Mercedes answered. "He cooked dinner for me at my apartment last night. We ended up staying up late talking, and he decided to stay the night" she explained as she paid for the beverages. "No sex though" she quickly added, unsure why she felt it necessary. "Just like second base"

"Oh um...okay" Sam answered.

Mercedes grabbed her cup holder full of beverages, and headed for the door. "Well I hope I get to see you before the holiday" she chirped in as she exited the coffee shop. Suddenly, she spotted something across the street, pulling her attention.

"Yeah" Sam agreed. "I'd like that"

"I'll call you back" she said abruptly, hanging up the phone, before she could hear Sam's "bye"

"Greg!" She called out to the man who she thought she had left slumbering on her couch. He turned to her on the street and waved in a slightly nervous fashion. He slicked his hair down and attempted to straighten his rumpled shirt. "Hey, thought I ran out on you huh?" She joked as she lightly jogged, getting nearer to the stopped man.

"Uh yeah" he answered quickly looking at his watch on his right arm.

"I found out I was out of filters and ran out for coffee" she explained while handing him his coffee. She looked at his left hand as he politely accepted the cup. "Greg, what is that?" She questioned, straining her eyes to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her.

"What is what?" He asked unsure of what she was referring to. He looked down at his hand and froze remembering the first thing he did when he woke up and found Mercedes gone.

"What do you mean "what is what?"?" She questioned taking hold of his wrist to make sure they both saw what she was now transfixed on. "Is that a... Is that a ring?"

"Mercedes" Greg hushed in a soothing tone hoping to quell the situation.

"No, that is a ring" she repeated, this time as a statement in a disbelieving and matter of fact manner. "Is it a wedding ring?" She asked her tone quickly turning hostile and accusing.

"Mercedes let me explain" Greg pleaded seeing the situation getting worse.

"No" she stopped him "is it a wedding ring? Are you married Greg?"

Greg froze knowing his secret was out. "Yes" he sighed "but let me explain. See when I met you Sophia, my wife, and I were taking a break. See she's a researcher in California and wants to move out there while I want to stay in the east coast and try to get tenure. We decided we should take a break. She left and told me to think about what I want out of us and where I wanted to go. Then I met you and you're so vibrant, and wonderful, and I just wanted to give us a chance, to see if I really wanted to be with her or not. But Sophia's coming back... Today for the holiday, and I decided I was going to give us a chance. I know I should have told you, and I was going to last night but, we had such a great time I just didn't want to ruin it."

As she stood there stunned Mercedes began to seethe. She didn't hear anything past Greg's admittance of being married. After that he became white noise as her mind raced. She looked into his eyes and all she could see was red.

"Mercedes I just wanted you to know that I never meant to hurt you" he continued. "I just hope we could be friend because you are- " his speech cut off by the scolding hot coffee being knocked from his hand some spilling onto him. He screamed in pain as he tried to brush off the soaking liquid. He screamed at her to no avail, by the time he looked up Mercedes was already in her building, headed for her apartment.

Once she reached her home she paced for five minutes or so in an attempt to calm down. She couldn't believe Greg had the nerve to be married then request that they remain friends. She clenched her fist and released them to fight from screaming. She stopped suddenly and charged into her bedroom. "Are you still going to the Hampton's for the fourth?" She asked loudly causing her mother to jump.

"Yeah, why?" Dorothy questioned still groggy.

"And your friends and their son will be there?" Mercedes quizzes ignoring Dorothy's request for an explanation.

"Yes. Why-"

"Good I'm driving us to the Jitney this afternoon" Mercedes cut her off adding "I'm going out. I'll be back soon" she said quickly leaving the room, her keys in hand.

"Wait so you're going with me?" Dorothy asked finally waking fully. Her question was met by the closing of Mercedes apartment door.

On the other side of her apartment door Mercedes whipped out her phone and quickly dialed Sam. "Hey" he greater her warmly.

"I'm on my way over" she announced, cutting through all of normal pleasantries.

"Okay" he replied wondering how she could go from light and jubilant from one moment to sounding as if she was about to kill someone the next.

She quickly Hung up the phone and headed to her truck.

When Mercedes reached Finn and Sam's apartment, she quickly parked, and walked briskly to the door. She buzzed the apartment hurriedly saying "It's me" when the intercom clicked. The door buzzed, allowing her into the building. When she jogged up to the door she found it opened, Sam standing in the door way, waiting for, with a concerned look on his face. She reached the landing of his door and exclaimed "He's married!" Before walking into his apartment, making a beeline for Sam's room.

She paced back and forth angrily as she explained her morning and why she was suddenly in such a foul mood. Sam sat on the edge of his bed, listening intently as she ranted. "And then he had the nerve to ask for us to be friends! Can you believe that? Friends!" She sighed exasperated, even more mentally drained.

Sam sat quietly for a moment before asking "Where does he live?"

"That's sweet Sam" she chuckled waving her hand, plopping down next to him onto his bed. "But I can't have you going over there threatening him. That plus I don't know" she admitted, one of the red flags that she now realized she'd ignored began to waive in her mind. "He never told me and he always wanted to pick me up or meet up somewhere" she wined, flinging herself on the bed as she covered her face with her hands. "I'm an idiot!"

"No" he soothed bringing her up to a sitting position "he lied, and yes, not telling you was lying." Sam explained. "You just got too...wrapped up in him too quickly and- are you crying?"

"What? No!" She yelled. "You know I don't cry and I would never cry over him" she huffed. "I mean yeah, I guess you right about being wrapped up in him so quickly. I just... I don't know. I was happy with him" she explained still feeling foolish. Sam placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, gently rubbing her back. "Thanks Sam" she sighed placing her head on his shoulder allowing herself to be comforted by his hand. They sat there for a moment in silence before she noticed the suitcase in his room next to the basket of folded clean laundry. "I'm sorry, I'm interrupting your packing" she apologized.

"No, no I don't leave until tomorrow anyway" he shrugged off.

"That right you're headed back to Memphis" she smiled sitting up to look at him. "While me, I will be in the Hampton's while my mother attempts to convince me to go out with her friend's son, as she constantly reminds me that my eggs are getting older" she sighed standing up.

"It won't be that bad" he smirked.

"No" she hugged "I'll try to catch up with Kurt and Blaine since they are already out there at Blaine's parents beach house. Hope they don't mind me being a third wheel." She sighed, slumping her shoulders.

"Wait" Sam stopped her as she headed for his bed room door. "I wanted to give you this anyway before I left and now seems like a good time" he smiled while standing from his bed. He walked over to his suitcase pulling out a large rectangular object from behind it, wrapped in news paper. He handed it to Mercedes sheepishly adding "I just hope you like it"

Mercedes took the item and smiled from surprise. She silently ripped the paper, revealing a detailed hand sketching of her as a super hero, complete with high boots and two gleaming guns, set in a frame. Her face lit up at her gift as her eyes examined her gift, appreciating the detail he added to it. Her hair waist length, blowing in an imaginary breeze, her leotard costume hugging her curves, and nylons that covered her large round thighs as she stood in front of a beautiful castle setting. It was an amazing rendition of her. "It's beautiful" she whispered.

"Thanks" he shrugged. "I started working on it as a thank you for helping me out that first day in New York. I thought about putting it in color but-"

"No" she protested as she ran her fingers over the glass protected drawing. "It's great how it is"

Sam smiled "Happy you like it."

"And you autographed it" she giggled as she ran her fingers over his signature.

"Yeah" he blushed.

"That way when you become famous, I can get double for it on E-bay" she joked "I love it" she exclaimed, pulling him into an embrace. "Thanks Sam, for everything" she sighed into his chest.

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><p>Mercedes took the rest of her morning, allowing herself a round of retail therapy. She stopped into her favorite shops, purchasing a few cute maxi dresses and some accessories she deemed beach worthy. By the early afternoon she was feeling a bit better, and ready to take on the holiday. She mustered the energy to carry all of her bags and her new piece of art into her apartment.<p>

"Mamma" she called as she plopped everything down onto her couch. "I just have to shower and throw on some clothes and we can catch the afternoon Jitney" she explained as she made her way to her bedroom, finding it empty. "Mamma?" She looked around her apartment to find the she is the only person there. She searched around, confused noticing that her mother's bags were gone. She wondered into the kitchen to find a yellow sticky note stuck to her refrigerator.

Mercedes,

Marco called and apologized. Invited me to Miami. See you when I get back.

Mom.

Mercedes read the note quietly. After the 4th read over, she headed back into her den, plopping down onto her couch as she pulled out her phone.

"Yep?" Sam answered after the second ring.

"And the hits just keep on coming" Mercedes chuckled bitterly.

"What now?" Sam questioned wondering what could have possibly happened so quickly.

"Well my mom decided that she'd rather head to Miami with her boyfriend Marco" she sighed in a mocking tone. "How sad am I where my own mother bails on me?"

"So what are you going to do for the holiday?" Sam asked eyeing his closed laptop.

"Oh sit at home, and drink alone and go over my life decisions" she laughed as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"That sounds so sad" Sam answered honestly as he snatched his laptop off of his drafting table.

"I'm just being dramatic Sam, I'm sure I'll find something to do" Mercedes sighed her mind ran through a list on just what that something would be.

"With who?" Sam questioned as he typed furiously. "Kurt and Blaine are gone, Finn, Rachel, Tina and Mike are all in Ohio"

"Santana and Brit are at Disneyworld searching for the wicked Queen" Mercedes added. "Something about a poison peach instead of an Apple or something"

"Artie and Sugar are in Mexico swimming with the dolphins, while Quinn and Puck are in Connecticut."

"Yeah" Mercedes agreed as her options slowly dwindled.

"Come to Memphis" Sam offered out of the blue.

"What?" she questioned unsure she heard him correctly.

"Yeah come with me to Memphis. There's stuff to do there, and you won't be alone for the holiday, and my parents will love to meet you" He explained as he reached for his wallet.

"I don't know Sam. I mean what will you tell your parents?" She quizzed as she sat up "Won't they think I'm your girlfriend? And I've never been to Tennessee; I mean what will I do when I'm there?"

"No that's the beauty of it. I never bring girls home so they will know you're not a girlfriend. Plus she's always asking me about you guys, so my mom will be thrilled to meet one of you and to know I didn't make you guys up" he joked. "And every year my family and I go out to a local park where they set off fireworks and eat barbeque. It's great."

"I don't know about this" Mercedes protested.

"I do know about it, and you're going." Sam grinned as he entered his last key strokes. "Cause I just finished booking your flight"

"What?" She squealed in disbelief.

"Yep, you're sitting next to me on the flight"

"I can't let you just buy me a plane ticket" Mercedes sighed.

"Well then pay me half when we meet up tomorrow. I'm emailing you the itinerary now" he grinned. "And I'll see you tomorrow, at Laguardia"

"Okay okay" she relented, allowing herself to get a bit excited. "and Sam? Thanks again"

"Save the thank you's for tomorrow when I see you" he smiled hanging up the phone.

Mercedes followed suit, placing her phone on her coffee table. She sat in silence as she allowed herself to smile. She stared at the framed picture she received earlier that day wondering where she was going to hang it in her home. She hopped up and began packing to make sure she was on time for her flight.

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><p><strong>So like I said we are getting to the good part. But just know the whole love hate thing... yeah its still in play here. But I still love you guys. And just know just because a character was brushed by, doesn't mean their gone... *wink*<strong>


	22. Chapter 22: New Information

**Hi. Thanks to all of the people following and those of you who favorited (still not a word lol) this fic. It means a lot to me. And to my reviewers... wow 300! That is amazing! Thanks. I've been working on this (And some others cause I got a lot going on at once lol). I'm also on Tumblr (although I have no clue what to do on it, but I'll figure it out) Same name as here so if you have anything you want to ask me just drop me a line there... or here. **

**So I'm happy everyone was happy about the trip. So this is day one of it and I hope you love it! I've been waiting to write this chapter for a while and is very Sam centered. And for those who have seen the movie and know where this is going well... just enjoy this chapter LOL. **

**So as always please:**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>New Information<strong>_

**July 1st**

"I'm just happy you under packed" Sam joked sarcastically as the taxi driver made his way through the Memphis neighborhood to the Evans house.

"Shut up" Mercedes laughed as she whacked his arm. He'd been teasing her about he luggage since they met up at the airport that morning. "I just wanted to make sure I had an outfit for every occasion" she explained as she looked out of the window at the house lined streets.

"Oh I'm sure you do" he smirked looking at her sun glassed covered face, as he adjusted his own eye wear, pushing them up farther onto his nose.

The taxi pulled up to a house lined with beautiful flowers leading up to the porch. The walk way was lined with brown cobble stones, playing off of the vibrant greenery around it and gave the blue and white house a very americana feel. "This is it" Sam smile as he got out of the car. The warmth of being home, in a place he knew like the back of his hand, washed over him, as he gave a helping hand to Mercedes as she exited the taxi.

"Its nice" Mercedes commented, surveying the house. As she smoothed out her maxi dress.

"Its home" Sam shrugged as he headed to the trunk to help the driver out with their bags.

"Sammy!" Mercedes jumped to her the high pitched squeal of an excited young girl, as she watched an excited Stacy bolt to her eldest brother.

"Cricket!" He smiled as he scooped the young girl into his arms, smiling brightly as he placed a kiss to her blond hair. "Oh I missed you!"

Mercedes watched the embrace silently, feeling like a voyeur. It was heart warming, and sweet, with a touch of privacy that made her blush. She looked down at her feet, fighting a smile at the pure joy that radiated from their greeting, missing her older brother secretly.

After squeezing her tightly, Sam placed Stacy back in the ground, running a protective hand over her hair. "I'm so glad you're home" she grinned. She then turned to the stranger she noticed standing next to the car. She quickly studied the woman, taking in everything from her hair to her gladiator sandals. "Hello" she said politely as she took a step towards Mercedes.

"Hello" Mercedes smiled back, noticing just how cute the young girl was.

"I like your bracelet" Stacy pointed out, pin pointing on the piece of jewelry.

"Why thank you" Mercedes replied sweetly.

"This is Mercedes" Sam huffed after assisting the cab driver unpack the cab. "Mercedes this is Stacy"

"Its great to meet you Stacy" Mercedes added, reaching out to shake the young girls hand.

"You too" Stacy agreed taking Mercedes hand, shaking it. "I bet you got that at a fancy, expensive store" she added still admiring Mercedes bracelet.

"Stacy!" Sam warned seeing that although she was bigger, she was still very forward.

"Its okay Sam" Mercedes laughed. "And I didn't. I got it at a thrift store actually" answering the young girls question.

"Oh" the girl said softly "Sorry"

"oh its okay" Mercedes comforted, shocked by the girls change in demeanor. "It was a really good thrift store"

"Oh when we went it was for poor people" Stacy shrugged

"Okay Stacy, that's enough" Sam jumped in cutting the young girl off. "Why don't you help us get our bags in"

Yanking one of the smaller bags onto her shoulder, Stacy led the two in, Sam following in after he paid for the cab. Walking into his home, he dropped his bags to embrace his mother as she squealed his name as he lifted her up.

"You look good" Mary sighed lovingly as she ran her hand over his face, smoothing his hair. She looked exhausted, her hair in a messy ponytail, as she tugged on a light sweater.

"You look ten years younger" Sam smiled sweetly.

"Fibber" Mary laughed hitting him playfully in his chest. "And you must be Mercedes" Mary greeted pushing past her son.

"Hi Mrs. Evans" she smiled holding her hand out.

"Oh we don't shake here" Mary laughed pushing her hand out of the way, pulling her into a hug. "Not after I've heard so much about you"

Mercedes embraced the blond woman back, happy they were such a warm family.

Sam smiled, watching his mother hug his friend when his younger brother stepped into view. "Hey Stevie" he grinned pulling the boy into an embrace, ruffling his shaggy hair playfully.

"Hey" Stevie said softly, holding his head down, hiding behind his blond bangs, as he looking at his shoes.

"Oh let me see them" Sam grinned knowing what Steven was bidding. Steven groaned rolling his eyes wishing it wasn't such a big deal. "Come on" Sam prodded. Steven sighed, and lifted his head, smiling sarcastically revealing a mouth full of metal. "You look great!" Sam smiled patting him on his shoulder. He had spoken earlier to Mary, knowing he was very self concise about his braces.

"Yeah whatever" Steven huffed dropping his head hiding again behind his hair.

Sam smiled remembering what it was like to be Steven's age. "Stevie-"

"Steven" he corrected, not wanting to sound like like a toddler

Sam looked a bit stunned. He shot a look to he mother, who just shrugged having dealt with this recent change, remembering when her little "Sammy" became Sam. "Okay" he shook his head realizing just how much he missed. "Steven" he said in a deep voice, sarcastically "this is my friend Mercedes"

"Hey" Steven said shyly, holding out his hand, still hiding behind his locks.

"Hello Steven" she responded smiling bending forward in an attempt to make eye contact. Steven glanced up, blushing at the warm smile she gave, hiding again.

"Lets get you two settled in" Mary interrupted, placing hands on Mercedes shoulder, herding the younger woman towards the bedrooms of the house.

"Sammy?" The question caused everyone to turn toward the voice.

"Oh Honey, you're up" Mary smiled turning towards he husband.

"Sammy you're home" Dwight Evans smiled as he walked towards his eldest.

"Hey Dad" Sam smirked, walking over to his father pulling him into his body. He patted his back, squeezing him tight.

"Its good to see you son" Dwight sighed as he held him close. Braking his embrace, he turned to the new face in the room. "And you brought your wife!" he smiled towards a confused Mercedes.

"Oh, oh no dad" Sam corrected quickly. "This is my friend, my friend Mercedes"

"Oh oh I know right Mercedes" Dwight waived off, making his way towards her. "How are you honey?" He asked hugging her.

"Oh I'm good" she answered hugging him back.

"Stacy, why don't you and daddy go watch a movie while I show Mercedes her room?" Mary asked placing Dwight's hand in their young daughters.

"Okay" the girl agreed "Come on dad" she prodded as she pulled him into the den area.

Mary nodded directing Mercedes and Sam to follow her, as Sam grabbed their bags. She lead them towards the back area of the ranch style house. "Okay, Sam insisted you take his room Mercedes" Mary explained opening the door of a room, revealing a whimsically wall papered room in blue with white clouds all around. It included dark wood furniture and shelves that held boxed action figures.

"I wanted to be superman" Sam explained when Mercedes looked back at the blond with a smirk.

"Oh he really did" Mary smiled "I still have that picture of you in your superman underwear and your red cape"

"Mom!" He huffed to Mercedes laughter

"Oh I have to see that" Mercedes asked.

"I have more" Mary said in a loud whisper, patting Mercedes on the shoulder. "Sammy, you'll be in dads office, the pull out is all made up for you" she explained as she walked towards the door, patting Sam on his chest. "You guys can relax and dinner should be ready in about two hours" she added turning to Mercedes.

"That sounds great and thanks again for having me" Mercedes responded.

"Oh no problem sweetie" Mary smiled before disappearing into the hall leaving Sam and Mercedes alone in his old room.

"So?" Sam asked.

"Its very... You" she giggled taking in her surroundings.

"Hey this is were all the magic happened" Sam joked.

"Yea because women can't resist a Data doll" Mercedes joked picking up one of his packaged toys.

"Okay first of all its an action figure and not a doll" Sam corrected "And women love Data" he smiled.

Mercedes rolled her eyes laughing as she pulled her bag on the bed. "I'll take your word for it"

"I'll let you settle in" he announced headed for the door. "See you at dinner"

Mercedes nodded before returning to her task of unpacking her things.

After a quick nap and freshening up after her flight, Mercedes sat at the Evans dinner table for a good old fashioned family meal. The conversion was lively with Stacy asking Mercedes a laundry list of questions about New York. Everything from where she shops to if their a real crazy homeless people who walk around in nothing but their underwear, which garnered a subject change from Sam, and an apology for her questions. However Mercedes brushed it off enjoying the young girls curiosity. Steven sat quietly as most brooding teenagers do, with his head down, playing with the food on his plate. Sam's father Dwight ate quietly, at times jumping into the conversation with tales of Sam, as if he were still a toddler and he was a proud father. Mercedes found the stories, although odd, endearing. Sam would gently correct his father placing a loving hand on his shoulder, reminding him that he was now 25 and not a baby any more while the rest of the table would get uncomfortably quiet, looking into their plates, until Mary would brake the pause with another question to Mercedes, who happily answered it, thankful for the chance to fill the gaps.

After dinner, Mercedes insisted on assisting the Evans children with the task of clearing the table and doing the dishes. When the dishes where partially done, Sam kicked Mercedes out of the kitchen, telling her as a guest she had done enough, and she was allowed to rest. With a shrug after some protest, Mercedes wondered towards the back patio sliding door, finding it open. Mercedes stepped into the cool, humid Tennessee summer air, to find Mary sitting by herself on a large porch swing, with a light throw over her legs and a glass of red wine, staring into the families tree filled backyard.

"Oh I'm sorry" Mercedes apologized, feeling as if she interrupted a personal moment for the older blond woman.

"Oh, no sweetie you're fine" Mary reassured making room for her on the swing before adding "Please sit"

Mercedes smiled graciously before taking a seat next to the woman whole lazily tossed part of her throw over her thighs. "Its beautiful out here" Mercedes said after a pregnant pause between the women. "Peaceful"

"Yeah" Mary agreed with a deep cleansing breath "I come out here just to relax. This is one of the reasons we decided to move here, Dwight and me" she said gazing upon the tree covered landscape as the moon just started to rise.

Mercedes noticed a photo book in Mary's lap. She turned her head to read the front cover of the book, when Mary noticed her interest in the book. "You want to?" She asked offering it to Mercedes.

"May I?" She asked a bit embarrassed she had been caught.

"Sure" Mary kindly agreed, laying the book into her lap.

Mercedes smiled politely as she opened the front cover embossed with "Evans" in gold script on it. The first picture was one that looked like it was from a formal dance. In the picture, a young blond couple smiling brightly, the girl in a full chiffon dress, the boy in a black tuxedo.

"Junior Prom" Mary smiled with a fond sigh, as if she were reliving the moment. "Dwight and I met in high school, you know? He was the quarter back of the football team"

"What were you?" Mercedes smiled, tasting the beginning of a sweet and epic tale of love when she heard one.

"Me?" Mary laughed with a bit of a scoff. "I was a choir geek. That and in the school band. Second clarinet." She explained. " I wan st even going to go to this dance, seeing as no one asked me" she sighed.

"So, how did you two end up together?" Mercedes questioned turning towards the woman, feeling herself being pulled into the story.

"Well, it was on a dare" Mary giggled shaking her head. "My friends and I were at a sleepover when one dared me to call him up and ask him to prom. Well I fought it, but before I knew it the phone was in my hand and I he was on the other end. Boy I was so nervous" she recalled "I stuttered as I explained who I was. And by the time I got to the reason for the call I was sweating bullets. I was sure he had another date or would laugh me right off the phone"

"So what happened?" Mercedes asked as she leaned in.

"Well" she answered as she gazed at the picture. " He was really quiet for what seemed like forever. Then he calmly said "Well I wasn't going to go, but for you I would love to make the exception"" she sighed. "What time should I pick you up?" Mercedes squealed gitty from the answer as if she were one of the girl at the sleepover so many years ago, relieved and surprised by the turn of events. "I know" Mary laughed "I still can't believe it. When he picked me up that night I though it was a prank, like on Carrie or something. That or he would get to the dance and abandon me, and take off with his friends. But nope, he was by my side that whole night." She beamed, stroking the picture fondly.

"That's so sweet" Mercedes cooed smuggling deeper into the swing. "So when did you know?"

"That he would be the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with?" Mary finished. "That night. He had gone to get us some punch and I took a seat at a table. He came back over to me after a while, during a slow song. He came right up to me and said "Mary, I just wanted to say you look beautiful tonight." Then he held out his hand, and asked "Can I have this dance?" I took his hand saying "I'd love to" and I haven't let it go since"

"That is beautiful" Mercedes sighed wistfully.

"Yeah, that was an amazing night that I will never forget." Mary sighed turning the page. The next picture was a more artistic photo of a slightly older Mary and Dwight. "This is us in college" she explained. "We both moved in together and got a little apartment." She explained as Mercedes eyes moved to the next page to see another picture of Mary in what looked to be her last trimester of pregnancy. "Soon after I was pregnant" she explained. "We had a quick justice of the peace wedding and we were a family."

Mercedes turned the page to find an adorable baby boy with large light green eyes and small wefts of blond hair. She smiled softly at the new born as if it were alive and wiggling in her lap.

The next page was a black and white action shot of a toddler Sam seated in his fathers lap as they both worked at a drafting desk. "Dwight and Sam hard at work" Mary joked.

"Mr. Evans is an artist too?" Mercedes pondered.

"Well sort of. See when I got pregnant I had to drop out of collage and get a regular job. But I insisted Dwight finish. One of needed to." Mary sighed. "He was an architect major and very talented. He loved to draft. But just as much as he loved his work, he loved Sammy twice as much. He would come home from work some days just exhausted, and still have a project to draft. I would tell Sammy not to bother his father. But he would always climb out of his crib and find his way into Dwight's office. And Dwight would just sit him on his lap and work on a blue print while Sam just doodled." Mary laughed. "Sam practically grew up at a drafting table"

Mercedes turned the page to find a picture of an unfinished foundation, in the back ground the same trees she was staring at earlier. "So you guys built this house?"

"Yep" Mary answered fondly. "Dwight drafted it, and had a hand in building it. He said we needed a better place to live, a place where Sam could go outside and run around. So when he got his job at a large architect firm he built one for us. He planned everything right down to what flowers to use in the walk way. Honestly that part is his favorite part of this house. He made sure to go out and weed that area every other Saturday just to make sure to keep it up" Mary beamed.

"You guys seemed to have an amazing life" Mercedes grinned as her eye ran over the photos

"Yep seemed perfect. And it was until..." She faded off, as she turned the page.

"Until what?" Mercedes asked, hoping the story wasn't over.

"Well" she huffed turning the page "I had my Stevie, and Cricket" running a loving finger over more baby pictures that Mercedes assumed were the respective children.

"Cricket?" Mercedes questioned noticing Sam using that nickname earlier.

"Cricket? Oh Stacy" she laughed to Mercedes nod. "We call her that because as a baby she seemed to chirp instead of coo." Mary explained "I had my three babies and was still with the man I loved, and everything was amazing. We were living an extremely comfortable life. We even had enough to put Sammy in a boarding school. Then Dwight lost his job" Mary revealed, her face darkening. "We hid it well for a while doing everything we could to maintain our lifestyle, including borrowing against the house until he could find a job. Then when he still couldn't find work, we found ways to cut costs like taking Sammy out of his boarding school and putting him in public school but it still didn't help" she sighed hiding her face behind her hair, like she saw Steven do. "It got so bad, we almost lost the house"

"But you didn't" Mercedes smiled, attempting to bring back the look that left Mary's eyes.

"No we didn't thanks to Sam" Mary smirked

"Really? How?" Mercedes questioned leaning in close.

"Well it was his senior year when he found a notice and questioned us about it. We ended up explaining everything to him, and telling him we would be losing the house. He knew about his college fund knowing it had enough to help. I refused to even consider using a dime on this house wanting for him what I never did and that was to go and finish college. Sam insisted however that it be used to keep a roof over our heads." She admitted while she wrung her hands in her lap. "So in his senior year he used his fund to save our home"

Mercedes quickly thought back to when she first met Sam and how he squirmed when the topic of college was brought up. Suddenly his reaction made sense to her.

"He tried to act as if it didn't bother him but I know it did. And people treated us so...differently when they found out. It Sam really hard when the girl he was dating at the time, Jaycee broke his heart. They were together for a while and he thought he could confided in her, but unfortunately it wasn't the girl to do so and she told a few friends and by the end of the week, our financial status was all around his school and she dumped him for a friend who's family was still well off. I felt so horrible for him, to deal with almost losing his home, then that. But Sam, he just smiled saying that "Well its better I know now"" Mary choked back tears. She wiped her eyes before they fell sniffling a bit. Mercedes took her hand squeezing it to reassure her. Mary smiled at the comfort she was granted. "Unfortunately his fund didn't cover everything. We still weren't out of the woods yet so Sam got a job to help out with the bills." She admitted. "It obviously paid well, but he refused to tell me what it was, promising that it was legal" Mary choked. "But when he would come home late at night, paid in stacks of cash I just..." She trailed off not wanting to say out loud that she thought it could be a lie.

Mercedes knew however where he was getting his wads of cash, having been informed of his stint as a premier dancer at Stallions strip club. She so wanted to reassure Mary that he was not lying to her, and that his line of work was in fact legal, but she knew that the knowledge that her baby boy stripped to keep the family afloat would not bring Mary any more comfort. So Mercedes just nodded, placing a friendly hand on her shoulder, that she hopped conveyed that she understood.

Mary composed herself, taking a few deep cleansing breaths to calm down before continuing. "So he graduated high school, and Dwight finally found work. And for a while everything seemed like it was going to fall back into place. Sam found a new job, and had saved up enough to even pay for some junior college courses, hoping to later transfer the credits to a large university. But then... Dwight was diagnosed"

Mercedes shuddered. She noticed Mr. Evans although kind and sweet seemed off in some way. "With what?" She gently prodded.

Mary smirked, not surprised her son had failed to tell her, knowing Sam's determination to hold family business close. "Dwight has early on set dementia" she revealed. Mercedes jaw clenched as she fought back a heart broken gasp. "it started with him forgetting things or getting little things mixed up. When it seemed to get worse and affect his work we went to get him tested. That's when we found out" Mary explained. "He has his good and bad days. One day he is telling Stacy about the day she was born, or how he and I met, or the day Steven thought his magic cape was really like superman's and jumped out of the tree and broke his arm, in such vivid detail, its like he's painting a picture with words. The next... He still thinks Sammy is a baby and he's forgotten that Stacy, and Steven were even born" Mary said with a stoic sadness. Mercedes blinked rapidly, turning her hear to look out at the yard, to hid the tears that where building up in her eyes. She couldn't imagine what it must do to the younger children to know that their father at times forgets they are his. Or the strength it must take to keep their family together, and how Mary does it on her own.

"Its hard" Mary admitted, when Mercedes failed to speak for a moment, unsure of what words of comfort to give her. "But I just remember that boy who took my hand that night, and I continue loving him because I know he's still in there. He even remebers to weed the front walk every other Saturday." She smiled. "Sam use to help me here most of the time, but I didn't want this life for him. He needed to go, have an adventure, to live. So I insisted he move to New York. So he can see what its like to only have himself to take care of, since he's been caring for us for so long."

"Your an amazing mother" Mercedes smiled after another break in their conversation.

Mary beamed appreciating the complement. She pulled Mercedes into a quick squeeze quickly wiping tears. Mercedes turned the page, and broke the moment with a deep belly laugh at the picture. It was a young Sam his mouth grinning from ear to ear, dressed in a rinestone denim shirt, tight wranglers, and a rinestone studded cowboy hat covering what looked to be a mullet hair cut. Across his chest was a guitar and next to him was a trophy almost as big as he was.

"Oh" Mary giggled "This is from when he won the Nashville talent show" she announced proudly. "Yep he won first place with his rendition of "Achey Breaky Heart""

Mercedes stifling her giggle questioned "how old was he?"

"About nine" Mary laughed a bit "And he would kill me if he found out I showed this to you"

"If who found out about what?" Sam questioned as he opened the sliding door stepping put on the patio. Mercedes quickly closed the book, hiding it under the throw, while she and Mary fought giggles, like to caught school girls.

"Nothing" Mary chuckled.

"No, its something" he insisted stepping closer to the women, suspicious of their nervous response.

"No its nothing" Mercedes insisted smiling sweetly.

"no its something alright but I'll let you two have your girl talk" he grinned back.

At that moment, a mosquito bit Mercedes on the back of her right shoulder, causing her to jump and frantically scratch at the sting. "Oh sweetheart what's wrong?" Mary questioned

"Oh nothing" she waived off "Just my back was itching"

Sam smiled, leaning confidently against the house, watching as Mercedes hugged his mother, telling her good night. She stood up and patted him on the shoulder telling him "Good night" also. He smiled and winked at her with a grin wishing her a good night back. Mercedes gave Sam a confused look as a response, but continued into the house to get ready for bed.

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><p>Mercedes slipped into a tank cut night gown, placing some Calamine lotion on the quickly rising sting. She sat in Sam's old bed, reading a book, with the window open a slight breeze cooling the room. Although she was looking at the words on the page with aid from the table lap, she was busy processing all she had learned about Sam that night. Suddenly she heard a knock on her door. "Come in" she beckoned figuring it was Mary questioning if she was all settled in before heading to bed.<p>

"Hey" a blond tuft of hair poked into her door. "Are you sleep?" Sam questioned looking around, finding her sitting in the dimly lit room.

"No" she answered.

"Good" he smiled quietly slipping into the room dressed in his pajama pants, and a robe. "Cause we have to be quiet"

"What, why?" Mercedes asked confused by his goofy grin

"Because" Sam smiled opening his robe, revealing his shirtless body doing a seductive body roll for the big reveal "I don't want to wake the house" he answered pulling out a gold condom.

"God Sam!" Mercedes huffed rolling her eyes. "I just broke up with Greg a few days ago. I'm not ready to just jump back into bed with someone"

"But you said your back itched" Sam recalled now the one confused.

Mercedes rolled her eyes turning her shoulder to reveal the pink dot of lotion explaining "I was bit by a mosquito"

Sam's face dropped embarrassed by his mistake. "Oh, Mercedes I'm sorry" he apologized.

"Its okay" she smiled. She watched as he turned for the door. "Well I'm not sleepy, come in and keep me company" she stopped him

"Really?" He turned

"Yeah" she chuckled. "We can hang out and not have sex right?"

Sam silently agreed, tied his robe closed and made his way over to the bed sitting on the side.

"Your moms great" she smiled once he was settled in.

"Yeah she's cool" he agreed.

"Yeah, she helped me find a new ring tone for you" she admitted, quickly pulling up the tune on her phone. Suddenly Billy Ray Cyrus belted out his chart topping song.

"I knew there was something!" Sam hopped up, as Mercedes laughed. "I'm going to kill her!" He shook his head referring to his mother.

Mercedes laughed harder wiping tears from his reaction. "Well its better than your old one" Mercedes admitted.

"What was it?" Sam questioned wondering how that could possibly a step up.

Mercedes quickly ran her hands over the screen of her phone, causing Justin Beiber's somebody to love to play. "I mean come on Sam" she laughed. "I tell you to hum a song in the middle of sex and this is what you come up with?" She questioned recalling their first night sexually together.

"Hey don't talk about the Beibs" Sam warned playfully. "And by the way Achey Breaky was a wildly popular song and dance. And my singing caused the entire auditorium to get up and dance and won me a really big trophy thank you" he defended, to Mercedes snort.

"okay teach it to me" she requested standing from bed.

"What?" He asked making sure he heard her right.

"Teach me how to do the Achey Brakey" she repeated.

Sam sighed. Suddenly he held up a finger, and ran out of the room, returning with two glasses, and a bottle of already opened red wine. "I'm going to need this if I have to do this" he explained, pouring him self a glass. He held up the bottle offering her a drink. She shrugged figuring she's on vacation so why not. He poured her a glass and handed it her. He then proceeded to teach her the Achey Breaky line dance, accompanied by her phone and his voice. About the second time through the song, and the whole bottle of wine, she had the dance down. They fell into his old bed quieting down for the night. They sat side by side, staring out of his open window, as the nocturnal creatures of the area serenaded them.

"You were right" Mercedes admitted, after a time of quiet. "These bugs are more soothing then the ones in your white box"

"Yeah they are" he agreed

Turning her head to face him she asked "Why didn't you tell me about everything?"

"Everything like what?" Sam quizzed wondering just how much Mary had told her.

"For one about you stripping to save your house"

Sam's body stiffened at the knowledge she knew that. "What difference would it have made?" He asked coolly.

"Well I wouldn't have teased you" Mercedes admitted, feeling a bit bad about her reaction when she first heard the news.

"Well your teasing wasn't that bad" he shrugged waiving it off, secretly touched that she cared enough to be remorseful about it. "Plus we kept the house and its over now so its not a big deal"

"Well then about your dad" Mercedes pointed out. "I mean you let me go on and on about my family, and you didn't say anything about him being sick" she added placing her head on his shoulder.

Sam stared stone face out of the window refusing to look at her. He knew she would wonder about him, but he just figured she would assume that he liked to reminiscence a lot, and not that his memory was slowly deteriorating. "Because I didn't want that look of pity on your face when you looked at me" he answered emotionless.

Mercedes sat her head up and turned it towards him, stating "that is not a look of pity, because I don't pity you. Sure you have been through a lot, but you have siblings who looks up to you, a mother who adore you, and father who may not be sure of how old you are always remembers that he loves you. Yes you had a rough part of life, but you fought through it and didn't turn out bitter for it. That's not a look of pity Sam, its a look of adoration" she said gruffly "You should learn the difference" she added turning her head to face back out towards the window.

Sam's jaw tightened, embarrassed but this time for thinking so little of Mercedes. "I'm sorry" he apologized "Its just... Really hard to talk about with people you assume don't understand" he clarified.

Mercedes pursed her lips, and huffed as she laid her head back on his shoulder. "Well if you don't have faith in people to understand you'll never know" she explained.

Sam slid his hand around Mercedes shoulder, pulling her closer to his chest. She snuggled into Sam, moving her head into his neck breathing him in. "I know. It just hard to trust people. But I'm happy I know I can trust you" he sighed into her hair.

Mercedes ran her hand up to his chest caressing his skin. At that moment, for whatever reason she needed to be closer to him physically. She then slid her hand to the rope of his robe, her digits untying it, allowing her to run her fingers over his abs. She gently kissed his neck pulling his robe open.

Sam leaned into her lips remembering how much he missed her touch. "Mer- Mercedes" he stuttered fighting the feeling of falling into touch. "Mercedes what are we doing?"

She looked up, raising her head from his neck. "I'm kissing your neck" she chuckled

"No, no I know that" he smirked sitting up a bit to adjust his body. "But what about Greg? I thought you weren't ready"

Mercedes leaned into him, with a seductive smirk whispering "A girl can change her mind, can't she?" With that she pressed a kiss to his full lips. Her hand found his hair, raking his bangs back as they ran through the rest of his mane. Her tongue tangled with his, kissing him deeply, while sliding his robe off of his shoulders. She threw her thigh over his legs, taking a seat onto his lap.

Sam's hands ran up her thighs under her gown touching her warm silk skin. Slipping her garment over her head, Sam undressed her, leaving her in nothing but her underwear. His eyes ran over her bare chest, reacquainting himself with her body. Instinctively he ran his tongue over her skin ending it with a kiss. He pulled her body into his, sinking into her flesh. She lightly ground her dampened core against his stiffening erection. He put his thumbs under her waste band, stretching its fabric over her thighs, relishing in the sea of smooth skin on her inner thigh as it brushed against his waist. He next wiggled out of his pajama pants, releasing his stiff manhood. Pressing all of his bare flesh against hers, as he thought just like being in his old bed, how good it felt to be home.

Taking the condom out of the pocket of his robe, she bit it open using her teeth, while winking at him causing his manhood to jump at the look in her eyes. She rolled the latex over his shaft, before situating her opening on his head. Methodically, she sat down, wrapping her warmth around him. Sam hissed at the feeling of her, moaning into her skin, as he bit down on the fullest part of her breast. Whimpering a bit as she began to roll her hips, riding him, biting down on her fleshy bottom lip to keep from making too much noise. Sam wrapped his arms around her back, in an attempt to pull her closer, he bucked his hips upward, causing her to buried her head into his neck, groaning as his pumping sent a shudder up her spine. She clawed at his back as they began ridding faster, shaking the bed frame a bit. She rode him until she came, giggling into his shoulder trying to adhere to Sam's pleas of "Shhhhhh" between sweet kisses to her salty moist skin.

Sam rolled her onto her back, staying deep inside her walls. Her legs wrapped around her waist, as he continued to sink deep into her as they shook and jiggled with each pump. He planted his face into his pillow, as he sped up his hips, smothering a moan. Her walls clamped down on him as her legs tightened then fell limp, her giggling muffled by her mouth. Sam enjoying the tightness, allowing himself to release a bawl into the pillow and a phrase that even surprised him: "I love you"

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><p><strong>... What? Lol hope you liked it! <strong>


	23. Chapter 23: Pity Party

**Hi guys! Thank you so much for following and adding this story and my writings to your favorites. And to the reveiwers you guys are so amazing and sweet. You guys sure know how to make a gal feel welcomed. LOL. **

**So this is an update. So where did I leave off? Sike I'm kidding! I know exactly where and I know you guys really want to know what comes next. Well here it is and I picked up right where I left off.**

**So as I've always asked you guys to do, please:**

**Read, enjoy, and review! :-***

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><p><strong>Chapter 23: Pity Party<strong>

**July 2nd**

Sam rolled over in bed on to his back, his heart racing from panic. He couldn't believe the words that had just left his lips. He wasn't even sure if they were honestly true, surprised by their presents, but it was too late now. He had said them and they couldn't be taken back. He started up at the ceiling, his eyes wide with fear as he wondered what to say next. What do you say to a woman who is not your girlfriend post sex, after uttering the four smallest, but most emotionally heavy words in the world? He gulped as he scrambled to come up with what he could possibly say to Mercedes. And why was she so damn quiet?

He gazed over at her, noticing a content grin on her lips, as her bountiful chest heaved catching her breath. She pushed the hair out of her eyes, as she stared up at the blue ceiling. She gave a relaxed sigh while pulling the sheets around her, protecting her nudity from the rest of the room. Sam nibbled his bottom lip as he attempted to figure out what could possibly be feeling. "Hadn't she heard me? Why is she so calm?" he asked himself.

"Well can we now say we're apart of the mile high club?" Mercedes joked referring to his childhood wall paper. Sam granted her a nervous chuckle, having to admit it was pretty funny. "And what did you say?" she questioned, turning towards him, leaning on her arm against her pillow.

"When?" He asked playing it safe and a tad bit dumb.

"When you… you know" she laughed lightly. "You said something in Na'vi. What was it?"

Sam released a breath realizing that he said it in English in his head, but it came out as "Nga yawne lu oer". He looked over at her waiting face as relief washed over him. "Oh" he played off rolling towards her "I said something about hunting and gathering" he shrugged mid roll, insuring that his bodily tick was covered by his physical movement.

"Oh" she sighed "Well whatever you said, it sounded… beautiful"

"Thanks" he whispered, thankful for the time to sort everything out in his head.

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><p>Mary Evans had become accustom to waking up in the early morning hours, and this time was no exception. Ever since the terrifying morning she woke to find Dwight was not in their shared bed. She got up, groggy pulling on her robe. She went from room to room in their home whispering his name to find it only encompassing a sleeping body, or nobody at all. She then noticed the light on in the garage and her heart sank. She ran quickly towards the light to find him sitting in the car, its engine started. The only thing preventing him from leaving was the fact he couldn't find a way to get the garage door up. Luckily he'd only be in there a short time, or it could have proven deadly for him. She quickly turned off the car and got him out of the vehicle, and opened the garage door to air out the area. They had averted the crisis, however in her panic, she'd woken Steven who helped get his father back into bed.<p>

Since that night and her discovery, like clockwork Mary has woken up to make sure her husband was still by her side in bed. She sleepily rolled over to find her husband fast asleep. She carefully caressed his face, smiling softly at how even though they had both aged so drastically, she still saw the seventeen year old boy she fell deep in love with all those years ago. She skillfully slid out of bed, making sure not to make too much noise. She placed her feet in her slippers, slinking out of their bedroom. She tip toed down the hall, to make sure she had locked the kitchen door to the garage. She then checked that the car keys where in their hiding place. Mary had gone to great lengths to make sure that Sam would never find out about that night, including bribing Steven with a new cell phone in return for the promise he wouldn't alert his older brother to the incident, not wanting to give her eldest anymore on his plate.

As she stalked silently back to bed, she noticed the light on in Sam's old room. Suddenly, the door opened illuminating the hall just as she made her way back into her room. She quickly jumped into her room, cracking the door, giving her a great view to the open door way. She observed as Sam crept out of the room, whispering "Good night" before closing the door behind him. His eye not adjusted to the darkness, he wondered back to his fathers office, as the light turned off in the room he just left. Mary smirked to herself as she closed the door to the master suit of the house, whispering "Friends my ass" to herself as she got back into bed.

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><p>Mercedes opened her eyes, to find the sun already up. The window was still open, this time allowing the sounds of neighbors getting an early morning jump on yard work, as the sound of lawnmowers wondered in. She sat up in bed stretching, smiling after a night of deep and relaxing sleep. She stood up, and located a pair of sweat and a t-shirt to throw on before making her way to the kitchen<p>

Once there she found the family, including Sam, already up and seated, eating breakfast. "Good morning" she said slightly embarrassed to be the latest riser in the house.

"Oh good morning sweetheart" Mary greeted warmly "We saved you some food"

"Thanks" she replied as she took her seat at the table. Mary and Steven passed her the serving platters that contained the last of the breakfast on them. "Sam" she called to her seated across from her "why didn't you wake me?" she quizzed slightly irritated.

"Oh Honey that's my fault" Mary jumped in just as Sam was opening his mouth to respond. "I told him to let you sleep in a bit since you had such a long day of travel. This is after all a vacation" she smiled.

"Oh. Thank you" Mercedes looked down into her plate of food. She looked up to see a mischievous grin on Sam's face.

"So how _did_ you sleep?" Sam asked with a knowing smile.

"Yes Mercedes, how did you sleep?" Mary chimed in, catching on to the two's inside joke, unbeknownst to either of them.

"Oh I slept well" Mercedes answered smiling sweetly at Mary, while lightly kicking Sam under the table.

"Well that's good" Mary smiled noting the their body language.

Mercedes began to eat, but had her phone at the table with her. She seemed preoccupied with the device using it with one hand, while using the other to eat. After about ten minutes of this behavior, Sam's phone buzzed, causing him to pull it from his pajama pants. Sam looked up at Mercedes after reading the message sent with a lop sided smirk.

"So" Mary interrupted the two's shared gaze "What are you two doing today?"

"Well Mrs. Evans, I was actually hoping you would take me into to the city" Mercedes spoke after taking a drink of her orange juice.

"Me?:" Mary questioned, genuinely shocked.

"Well you, Stacy, and Steven actually" Mercedes clarified.

"Well what about Sam?" Mary quizzed looking at her eldest son.

"Well since I'm home I guess me and Dad could spend some time together while I'm here" Sam answered looking at his father, placing a playful hand on his shoulder before asking "How about it old man? Just me and you?" Dwight nodded smiling and chuckling lightly.

"Can we go Mommy?" Stacy begged, wanting to go into the City for the day.

"Uh, okay" Mary answered "What about you Steven, you in?" She asked her youngest son.

"Sure, whatever" he shrugged less than enthusiastic.

"Well I guess we can do that. And you're _sure_ you don't want Sam to take you?" Mary asked again giving Mercedes an out.

"Yep, I'm sure" Mercedes smiled.

"Well okay, we'll go after we get dressed" Mary relented wondering why she was so insistent that it be her and not Sam who takes her into town.

After breakfast, Mary, Stacy, Steven, and Mercedes dressed and headed out for the day, only after Mary gave Sam a laundry list of things that might help him as he spent time with his father. "Mom" Sam huffed as he pushed her towards the door "I know, and we'll be fine" he reassured.

Mary drove, as Mercedes suggested an address she wanted to stop first. It turned out that it belonged to a swanky salon. The quartet walked into the building, being met with the smell of hair product and the sound of people spending their morning beautifying their manes. Mercedes walked straight to the receptionist as Mary wondered why Sam couldn't bring her if all she wanted was a salon visit. "Good afternoon" Mercedes smiled sweetly "We have a reservation"

"Under what name?" the young girl behind the desk with a choppy modern bob that included streaks of purple mixed in with its raven strands.

"Mary Evans" Mercedes smiled, knowing that she would catch the older woman's attention.

"What? Me?" Mary asked, snapping her head towards the two after hearing her name.

"Oh yes, our online reservation" the girl nodded before sending for a stylist.

"Wait, what's going on?" Mary asked for clarification "Me?"

"Look" Mercedes smiled as she took the older woman's hands in hers "You need a little bit of pampering, and I know you will never give it to yourself so let me as a thank you for taking me in for the holiday last minute" she smiled.

Mary teared up as she looked around, to find a male stylist making his way to her. "But what about the kids?" she brought up quickly looking at Steven and Stacy.

"Don't worry" Mercedes smiled "I made sure we were in an area with a lot of shops in walking distance, including a comic book store. We'll be fine" she waived off looking at the two slightly pleading with her eyes for back up.

"Yeah mom" Steven caught on stepping towards Mary. "We'll show Mercedes around and hang out until you're ready"

"Yeah mommy" Stacy smiled not wanting to be left out of the decision making.

"See" Mercedes smiled turning back to Mary "Now get going, they are going to squeeze you in"

"Oh uh okay then" Mary agreed perking up as she turned towards her stylist for the day. She quickly turned back around, pulling Mercedes into a hug whispering "Thank you" into her ear.

"Your welcome" Mercedes said back beaming. "Now go, we'll be okay" she reassured again.

Mary turned and followed the waiting gentleman to the back of the salon.

"Well guys" Mercedes sighed turning to the two blond children "to the comic shop?"

They nodded in agreement and headed for the door.

The trio walked to the store, which was a few doors down from the salon. Once inside, Stacy dashed over to the Magna area, after noticing their bright colors, bold print, and cutely drawn characters. Mercedes and Steven ventured over to the area which held the traditional comics. As Steven lazily flipped through the pages of some comics, Mercedes stood next to him scanning the wall that displayed the t-shirts the store offered for purchase. "Ok Steven" she said after a moment of visually going through the options "which ones would Sam like?"

Steven gazed up and quickly surveyed the choices before pointing out "The Avatar one and the Flash"

"Then those are the ones I'll get" she smiled as she turned her attention back to the comic stand. "So all of you guys are into these huh?" she questioned lightly as she reviewed the materials in front of her.

"Yeah" Steven shrugged "These, and graphic novels. Sam got us into them when we were younger and he would baby sit us. He would bring us here and we would just hang out and read."

"Well that sounds nice" Mercedes responded pick up the latest episode of Jubilee and Wolverine, flipping through the brightly illustrated pages.

"It was" Steven huffed picking up another comic. "It was a lot easier then" he mumbled more to himself.

Mercedes could only assume he meant life was easier then, and her heart tugged a bit. She stepped closer to the teen nudging him a bit asking "Okay so what's good?"

"Oh you should probably have Sam teach you" he smirked a bit revealing the braces he tried so hard to hid. "He's way better at this stuff then me. He's way better at a lot of thing"

"Now I'm sure there are things you're good at" Mercedes comforted.

"Yeah but not like him" Steven huffed. "By my age he was bigger, more popular, never needed braces. He was like, I don't know, super teen"

Mercedes took a step back and looked at the insecure boy in front of her. He was all arms and legs, indicating he was due for a growth spurt, and had soft kind eyes just like his father. He was on the tail end of that awkward phase every teen goes through. Mercedes remembered hers fondly, and sympathized with Steven. "Hey you're going to grow and get bigger, and at your age I happened to think braces were cute"

"Yeah right" the blonde scoffed

"No really, I did" Mercedes confessed. "You're a handsome young man Steven, and you're only going to get better. Just be yourself and you'll see" she lightly bumped him again.

The jingling of the bell over the store door interrupted the blush that darkened Steven's cheeks, pulling his attention. Mercedes noticed as his eyes widened followed by him quickly lowering his head to hide behind his locks again. Mercedes turned her head to find a cute dark haired, olive skinned girl about Steven's age, wondering into the shop. Mercedes turned her head back to the boy with a slight smirk. "Do you know who she is?" she asked playfully.

"Huh?" Steven attempted to play off. "Oh yeah, that's Jenna Riley" he waved off adding "She's in my grade"

"She's cute" she pointed out lightly "Let's go say hi"

"No!" Steven blurted out, his cool demeanor braking due to panic as he placed a hand on Mercedes shoulder stopping her from walking over to the other teen.

"You like her\?" Mercedes smiled, his behavior tipping her off to his interest.

"Yeah" he grumbled under his breath. "She's alright"

"So why not go and talk to her?"

"Because she's the most popular girl in our class" Steven explained as if it were obvious. "She hangs out with the popular boys like Brad, Ian, and Ryan who are complete assholes by the way" His face then turned red when he remembered who he was talking to. "Sorry" he apologized receiving a nod from Mercedes indicating it was alright. "But she's popular and I don't even think she knows I'm alive" he huffed.

Mercedes pouted and rubbed his shoulder. "Look I'm going to go get Sam's shirts and we can go okay?"

Steven nodded in a solemn agreement sighing a bit in defeat. Mercedes headed over to the main register area near the front of the store. "Excuse me?" she called out to the large man who's back was turned towards her as he stood behind the counter.

He turned around and smiled taking in Mercedes. "Well hello" he greeted as smoothly as he could, making his way over to the counter, leaning forward in an attempt to get closer to the woman. "How can I help you?"

"Uh hi" Mercedes answered, noticing the glint in his eyes. "I wanted two shirts. Number 35 and number 42 please."

"Oh awesome choices" he flirted as he quickly wrote down her order. "May I ask what size you'll need them in?"

"Oh in a large please?" she asked

"Well I would say a medium" he pointed out running his eyes over her frame.

"Oh their not for me" she corrected.

'Oh for a boyfriend?" he questioned a bit disappointed.

Mercedes paused, wanting to answer him honestly, but something about the truth felt weird and hollow. The real answer felt wrong in her gut, but she pushed past it to reply "Nope, just a thank you gift for a friend' she smiled.

"Well' he smiled still seeing the door as open for him "It sounds as if you're not from around here" he noticed.

"Nope I'm here visiting, but only for the holiday" she answered politely.

"Well Ms.?" he asked.

"Mercedes" she admitted.

"Well Ms. Mercedes, if you have time during your visit, I would love to show you around" he explained handing her a card from his pocket.

"Harry Faulk?" She read from the small card in her hand.

"Yep that's me" he beamed brightly. "So you use that number if you want a _private_ tour of our city. Let me go get your shirts" he beamed moving towards the back.

Mercedes huffed, releasing the breath she didn't notice she was holding happy to be away from her would be suitor. She turned back and took a peak at the object of Steven's desire. That's when she noticed it: that Jenna, was peaking over at Steven, slowly making her way near the boy, but doing so timidly, playing it off as if she were looking through the comics. She smiled as she quickly formulated a plan as she walked up to the counter to address the clerk. "Thank you" she thanked him sweetly as she paid for the merchandise.

"And please don't hesitate to call" the clerk grinned.

"Uh yeah… thanks" she responded as she turned to walk away making her way back to Steven.

"Hey" she whispered startling the teen as he secretly spied on Jenna who was only a few rows away "you have a phone right?"

"Yeah" he answered wondering why Mercedes was speaking in such a hushed tone.

"Give it to me" she ordered. Once the device was in her hand, she quickly worked her fingers over the screen. Suddenly her phone rang in her purses. "Okay here is my number" she said quickly handing the boy back his phone. "Call me when your done and I'll tell you where we are"

"Okay… wait, done? With what?" he asked not understanding what she was hinting at.

"And remember what I told you, just be yourself and don't worry you're a great guy" she smiled looking into his eyes. Suddenly Mercedes spoke loudly so that basically the whole comic store could hear her "Thanks so much Steven. Really if you weren't here to help me, I wouldn't know Spiderman from Superman" she quickly embraced the confused teen. She then let him go and quickly made her way over to Stacy taking her by the hand, quickly saying "Come on Stacy, lets go shopping" With that they quickly made their way out of the comic store, stopping in front of its large window pain.

"Wait Mercedes, we're leaving Stevie" Stacy pointed out confused to why they ran out in such a rush. "Where is he?"

Mercedes gazed into the store in enough time to see Jenna smiling as she walked up to the shocked and excited Steven. She batted her eyes, and flirtatiously slid her hair behind her ear while he nervously showed her a comic he had in his hand. "Oh it's okay" Mercedes beamed as she observed the teens "He'll catch up with us later" she reassured

Down one man, Stacy and Mercedes headed to a small shoe boutique in order to find Stacy some cute shoes for the up coming holiday. Stacy picked out a small pair of gladiator sandals like Mercedes, and some navy and white striped nautical themed ballet flats adorned with a large red button on them. As they were checking out of the store, Stacy, the precocious child she is wondered out loud "Mercedes are you Sam's girlfriend?"

"No, I'm his friend." she answered looking down at the smaller girl. "Why?"

"Well because I like you" Stacy shrugged as if she had just made that determination "And I like hanging out with you"

"Well we can do that without me being Sam's girlfriend" Mercedes said softly.

"Oh I know" the blond sighed. "Its what if I go visit Sam in New York? Will I get to hang out with you too?"

Mercedes smiled, and leaned in close to her reassuring "If you come and visit Sam, I promise I will make it mandatory that we hang out just me and you. Deal?"

"Deal" the girl nodded beaming with excitement.

After checking out of the shoe store, they then made their way to a kids clothing store and picked up an adorable maxi dress and a pair of cigarette style Capri for fashion interested tween. Finally the two found themselves in a great little thrift store where Mercedes taught the girl the art of thrifting. As they went through the store, Mercedes phone rang. She picked it up to find it was Steven on the other end, attempting to find out where the two of them where located in the area. She informed him that they were only a few stores down from their original location. He quickly hung up, and Mercedes went back to shopping until she heard the bell of the shop door ring. She turned her head and smiled as the teen made his way to her. "Hey how'd it-" she started to aske before she was cut off my a large bear hug by the young man.

"Thank you" he sighed into her ear as he embraced her.

"I take it everything went well?" she chuckled as he released her.

"Are you kidding?" he looked surprised. "She said that-" he was stopped with Mercedes hand to his chest.

Mercedes nodded towards an interested Stacy who's ears where perked up ready to take in all the information. "How about you tell me about it later" she winked. Steven looked over to his younger sister and nodded, not wanting to tell her all of his business. "Go pick out some cool things to wear tonight" she told him patting him gently. Steven took the order and headed over to the guys section of the thrift store.

After shopping was over, the three of them when over to a little diner for lunch. By the time they were finished, Mary called to inform them that she was finished. The three of them walked back to the salon to find a fresh and rejuvenated Mary, who looked actually fifteen years younger. She literally glowed with fresh hair color and cut and a facial fresh face.

"So?" Mary asked in a teeth bearing grin. "What do you think?"

"You look amazing" Mercedes smiled brightly.

"You look really pretty" Stacy added "Very sophisticated"

Mary laughed a bit at her daughters wording and how sweet she was. She looked over to her teenaged son who beamed, his braces at full blast as he took her in. "You look good" he said, being one of few words but deep emotions.

By the time they made it back to the Evans house, Dwight had fallen fast asleep sitting next to Sam as they took in a baseball game on television in the family den. When Sam was alerted by their arrival by the sound of the garage door, he quietly stood up and tip toed out of the room, closing the door behind him, making sure not to disturb his father. He made his way to the kitchen to find Stacy bounding through the door, with bags in her hands and a large smile on her face.

"Sammy! We had so much fun!" she practically yelled.

"Shhh Cricket" he hushed as he caressed her head "Dad's sleep" She was followed by Steven who had somehow transformed from their outing. He seemed to stand taller, his chest out and he had a more peaceful, confident look on his face. He was followed by Mercedes who also had shopping bags in her hand. "So how'd it go?" he asked knowing what she had planned for his mother.

"It went well" she huffed "Did you make-"

"The reservations" he sighed "Yeah I did"

"Good" she smiled at his slight aggravation

"Anything good for me?" he asked attempting to peek into her shopping bags

He was met with a playful whack on his hands, as she shooed him away adding "No" with a smile. He pouted a moment, making her chuckle.

Finally Mary came in through the door, and Sam paused. She looked radiant and refreshed from her afternoon. She spun around, her hair whipping in the man made breeze as she showed off her new look. "Mom you look amazing" he smiled.

"You think so?" asked still modeling.

"Yeah you look-"

"Seventeen again" Dwight answered from behind Sam, causing the room to turn and look at him. He had obviously been woken from his nap, and had made his way into the kitchen, never taking his eyes off his wife. "You look as good as the night I picked you up twenty seven years ago. Junior prom, you wore pink, the theme was "An evening of Enchantment" and I had the most amazing girl on my arm" he said as he walked past the rest of the room, straight to Mary. "And I'm blessed to still have her today" he whispered, taking her into his arm in a waltz like hold pressing his cheek to hers. "What was our first dance? Oh I remember now" he said as he began to sway softly, rocking her with him. "It was "Cherish" by Kool and The Gang" he grinned as she giggled, tearing up at his detailed recollection. "Cherish the love we have, we should cherish the life we live" he sang as they danced together in an intimate moment, forgetting there where others in the room, becoming totally amerced in their memory.

As they danced Sam, peeled his gaze away from Mercedes to find her whipping away tears. "Thank-you" he whispered to her as he returned his attention to his parents. They all stood silently as they watched their private moment, in awe.

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><p>Later that evening, after a quick nap and assisting Stacy pick out an adorable skirt and shirt ensemble, Mercedes freshened up, and got dressed in a lovely taupe safari style shirt dress, that was belted at her waist. She gave herself soft face framing curls and refreshed her makeup for an evening look.<p>

When she was ready, she stepped out of her room to find Mary leaving hers in a simple black wrap dress. She had a new bounce in her step and a smile that hadn't left since they walked out of the salon. Steven was dressed in a simple button down shirt and kakis and Sam and Dwight both had on a button down, slacks and a tie. The well dressed group piled into the car, and headed to the family's favorite restaurant in the city for a nice dinner.

Once there and seated at the table, Sam and Mercedes chose to grab a quick drink at the bar while the others where seated at their table. They chatted lightly, and enjoyed their cocktails when all of a sudden Sam heard the name "White Chocolate!"

He looked up and grinned widely pulling the man who called him in for a tight hug. "What are you doing here?" Sam asked laughing a bit.

"Same thing you are apparently" the stranger answered chuckling.

"Oh I'm sorry" Sam apologized "Mercedes this is Mat- oh sorry Doctor Matthew Rutherford" he beamed as he introduced his old co worker. Mercedes instantly recognized the name and smiled brightly as she shook his hand, understanding how women could throw large amount of money at him. "Matt this is Ms. Mercedes Jones"

"Girlfriend?" Matt asked as he gazed over at Sam.

"No just friends" they answered in unison.

"Just friends huh? Well then it's a pleasure to meet you _Ms_. Jones" he charmingly grinned as he brought the back of her hand to his lips. She giggled at the contact.

"Okay, break it up" Sam said breaking up the scene sliding her hand out of Matt's "How's it going?"

"Everything's great" he smiled. "Still interning at the hospital"

"That sounds exciting but stressful" Mercedes added.

"Oh it is. I actually don't get very many days off so imagine my surprise when I look over here to find this guy at the bar with such a lovely girl" he winked. "So what have you been up to? Are you still here?"

"No" Sam corrected. "I actually moved to New York. That's where I met Mercedes. We're just visiting for the holiday. We're in a band together, and I'm developing my own comic"

"Oh wow. That's amazing. Congratulations Man" Matt beamed patting Sam on the back.

"Yeah its pretty great. And Mercedes is a singer as well, and when she sings, let me tell you, she's amazing" Sam bragged

"Well I have to hear sometime, but if she sings how she looks I'm sure she's as great as you say" Matt nodded. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to get back to my date" he interrupted.

"Date?" Mercedes questioned raising her eyebrow intrigued how he could be on a date but shamelessly flirting with her.

Keeping a cool manner Matt smiled noticing her question already knowing what she was thinking. "Well if I would have known the women in New York where so breath taking I would have waited for your arrival. But alas I'm a poor country boy and have to settle for a Southern Bell" he winked once again bringing heat to her cheeks. "But make sure Sam here shows you around properly. And if he doesn't, never hesitate to look me up. Good night Sam" he nodded to his friend who rolled his eyes having seen Matt work his charm before. "Ms. Mercedes Jones" he hushed kissing her hand again before leaving.

"Well he's charming" Mercedes laughed returning to her drink. "I bet he had women cleaning out their bank accounts"

"Yeah it came in quite handy at Stallions" Sam rolled his eyes "But he's a huge flirt, and pretty convincing"

"I can see that" she nodded thinking to herself.

"Hey, don't get any ideas" Sam warned "You heard the man, he has a girlfriend'

"Date" Mercedes corrected "And don't worry Sam, he's not my type" she shrugged taking the last sip of her drink before sliding off of the bar stool to head back over to their table.

"Really, well who is?" Sam asked only to get a sly smile from over her shoulder, as she sauntered away.

The two of them rejoined their party after their drinks, eating a lovely dinner full of laugher and stories, narrated by Dwight, but included add on by all of the Evans, as they relaxed in the crowded restaurant. It appeared as if he would have a completely lucid day until he turned to Mary and asked "You have any change?"

Mary, unconcerned, grabbed her purse replying "Sure honey, why?"

"I have to call the sitter to check on Sammy" he smiled as he held his hand out. The table got quiet, everyone looking uncomfortably at each other, except for Mary who looked up and gazed at her husband.

"Dwight" she said calmly "Sam is right here with us" she nodded to her eldest who was seated across from her.

"That's funny" Dwight laughed

"I'm not joking" Mary said softly "Sweetie that is Sam, he's not a baby anymore"

"That's not Sam" Dwight waved off, becoming slightly irritated. "Give me the change so I can use the pay phone to call the sitter"

"Dad" Sam said softly "it's me, I'm Sam"

"My son is four" Dwight answered now visibly upset and even more confused "You are not him!" he yelled, calling attention to the table.

Mercedes quickly called over their waitress who rushed over, afraid he was upset with the service. "May we have a doggy bag for our food?" she whispered to the girl who nodded and quickly set off to get the container.

"You are not my son!" Dwight continued, despite the comforting hand from Mary on his shoulder. "Where is the pay phone because I have to call home"

"Dwight no one will be there-" Mary started in her most soothing voice, attempting to suppress her panic.

"Why not! What have you done with him! Where is my Sammy!" he yelled.

"Okay" Mercedes jumped in as she pushed her chair back and stood up noticing the tears coming to Stacy's eyes and the embarrassment on Steven's face. "How about I take these two and go get the car, and you guys meet us out front?" she asked Sam, praying he'd say yes so she can get the kids out of the social situation. Sam nodded and handed her the keys. "Come on guys" she called wrangling the two as the waitress worked quickly to box the rest of their food.

Sam paid the bill leaving a large tip for the scene that was caused, and assisted Mary as they walked the still upset Dwight towards the exit. He looked around at all of the judging eyes, the ones that pitied him, the ones upset that their night was disturbed by the outburst, and ducked his head as he walked out of the door. It took nearly five minutes to settle him down, but he finally agreed to get into the waiting vehicle with the promise that when he got home his "Sammy" would be there.

Sam gripped the steering wheel as he drove home, the car in complete silence as they made their way back to the house. Dwight fell asleep on the ride home, cupped in the arms of a now weary looking Mary. Mercedes silently watched Sam as he drove, his jaw tight, his eyes staring straight at the line on the road, focused on getting everyone back.

Once at the house, Mary walked the drowsy Dwight to their room, insisting that she didn't need any assistance. As they walked she gently ordered Stacy and Steven to head for bed since it was such "a long day" for them. They both solemnly nodded and kissed their mother good night as she slowly made her way to her room.

"Good night Sam, good night Mercedes" Stacy said waving to the two, her little head down, and a bit more deflated.

"Night Cricket" Sam responded kissing her on her head. Mercedes smiled and nodded, holding back tears.

"Night" Steven grumbled to both of them, hiding again behind his hair.

"Hey" Mercedes stopped him before he disappeared into his bedroom "You want to tell me how it went today with Jenna?" she asked in a spirited manner, wanting to perk the boy back up.

"No" he said shaking his head gently "I'm kind of tied now. How about tomorrow?"

Mercedes nodded granting him a forced smile before patting his shoulder. He turned and made his way into his room closing his door behind him.

"Sam" Mercedes said once they where alone in the hall. She took his hand in her in a comforting manner.

"I'm going to turn in too" he answered coolly releasing her hold, not really feeling like talking.

"But Sam, I just-"

"Not now" he repeated a bit harshly. She nodded and turned and headed to her door. Sam rolled his eyes angry at himself for brushing her off when he knew she was trying to just check on him. But he still needed time to process what had just happened. "Look tomorrow, I promise" he soothed, taking his tone lower. Mercedes turned and nodded her head silently, unsure of what to say. "Goodnight?" he asked hoping that they were okay.

"Goodnight" she replied, allowing him to know she wasn't upset.

Sam stood in the hall until her door closed, thinking to himself "And today started so great."

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><p><strong>ARGH! I know that's the sound you guys made. I told you this is going to be a love hate relationship a few chapters back, and I'm sticking to that realization. I still love you guys though lol. And this little emotional rollercoaster is far from over. We have A LOT more ground to cover (I really didn't think this story would be so long but I'm having a good time writing it so its no hurry for me, I'm hoping you feel the same. But I hope you guys liked Matt. Smooth talking Matt interests me. I kind of like to think of him that way LOL. <strong>


	24. Chapter 24: Words Mean So Much

**Hi. So Thanks so much to my readers and followers of this story and my authorship on this site (sounds so official huh? Lol). It means a great deal to me that you enjoy my writing. And to my reviewers thanks so much for the verbal support. You guys are so wonderful. And to everyone thanks for sticking around for me.**

**So um its been a long time huh? Sorry about that. Writers block for two of my other stories has prevented me from going forward. BUT I think the fog has lifted and so here is an update. **

**As always please:**

**Read, Enjoy, and (If you have time) Review. :-***

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><p><strong>Chapter 24: Words Mean So Much<strong>

**July 3**

Sam rolled over and opened his eyes as the morning sun shot straight though his father's old office window directly into his still very tired face. He groaned as he tossed, throwing his pillow over his head to shield his vision from the light. After a few moments and taking the time to squeeze his eyes shut tightly he huffed as he tossed his covers and pillow off of him. It was no use, he was up and had to face his day. His night had been spent tossing and turning as the past few days sped through his head. His father's melt down at the restaurant and the reception they received from the other patrons, coupled with the fact that he still hadn't taken the time to really investigate his post sex admission of love to Mercedes, prevented him from a restful slumber. He sat up cranky and in a funk, and all he wanted to do with his day was stay in bed and process.

The noise from the kitchen drew Sam out of his makeshift room. When he reached the door he found his sister lively chatting up Mercedes, making her promise to help her pick out her holiday wardrobe, while Steven seemed to be enthralled by a texting conversation he was having with some anonymous person, while his mother sat quietly observing her children as they participated in their respective activities. She looked up at the door way as if she could feel her older child's presence and smiled at him.

"Well look who's up?" she asked in a cheery voice.

"How could I sleep with all the noise" he mumbled as he walked farther into the room, plopping down on a chair. He took his plate and begin to fill it with the leftovers of breakfast. "Where's dad?" he asked sourly.

Mary wrinkled her forehead as she noticed her son's sullen mood. "Still asleep" she answered as she observed him begin to eat, shoveling his food into his mouth aggressively. "How'd you sleep?"

"I didn't really" he mumbled, mainly to himself. He looked up across the table at the bright eyes of Mercedes as she studied him. He huffed loudly, feeling as if he were being judged by her mentally. "What?" he asked.

Mercedes jerked a bit, taken a back my his rough tone. "Nothing, just wondering what's up?"

"Nothings up. I just couldn't sleep. Can we drop it now?" he asked gulping his juice.

"It's dropped" she said in a tone showing that she was put off by his attitude.

"Hey Stevie" he called to his little brother sitting right next to him, pulling him away from his thumb conversation. "After breakfast, we're going to the creek to get in some fishing. Deal?'

Steven looked up at his disheveled older brother, his bed head was all over the place, while his eyes were a bit blood shot. "Uh okay. Whatever" he grumbled a bit, returning to his texting.

Mercedes finished her breakfast without saying another word to the obviously cranky Sam, choosing instead to sit back and observe him. After she finished she made her way to the bathroom to shower and start her day. As the warm water beat the knots out of her back she replayed breakfast in an attempt to figure out what was going on with her host. Once she was cleaned and dressed, Mercedes had decided to give Sam her gift of the two t-shirt she bought the day before early, rather than waiting until they were back in New York as she had originally planed. She assumed that the small gesture would hopefully pull Sam out of his funk while showing her appreciation for the hospitality she was shown while there.

She silently crept into the make shift office which contained an old pullout, and drafting table.. She made sure the coast was clear when she entered but to ensure that she wasn't discovered while she was dropping off her gift, she kept the door slightly ajar behind her. She sat calmly on the neatly made pull out bed as she took in her surroundings, focusing on a small cluster of pictures on the drafting table. There sat four small picture frames, Dwight smiling happily with each one of his children, and one of he and Mary early in their marriage. Mercedes imagined him coming into this room, sitting wordlessly and gazing happily at all that he loved, reminding himself why he worked so hard, before going diligently to work drafting building. The though put a small warm smile on her face, as she pulled back the covers of the bed. She neatly folded the shirts side by side, placing them on the mattress with great care. Finding the shirt not enough she ventured over to the table, taking a small yellow post note and a pen to write a short message.

After finishing his breakfast, Sam dressed and wondered down to his parents room. He silently stood in the door way to watch his father peacefully slumber.

"He didn't sleep very well last night either" Mary whispered in Sam's ear causing him to startle a bit. He huffed, wishing he could make it all right, better, or just different. His mother put a soft hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner before adding "I just don't know how to handle all of this sometimes, you know. At least you have someone to talk to"

Sam turned, his head snapping to face his mother who was still lovingly gazing at her sleeping husband. "You have me" he said defensively.

"Oh I know that. But when things got hard I just got so use to going to him" she nodded to the bed. "He was my partner in crime" she smiled. "But you? You have Mercedes and-"

Sam cut her off with a huff, knowing where the conversation was headed, and he didn't want to be around when it got there. He headed down the hall, followed closely by Mary. "Please don't" was all he said as he left to go get the fishing rods for he and Steven.

"Sam wait" Mary pleaded "Now I know you don't really want to talk about this, but I really like Mercedes and I have a strange feeling you do to" she said at the end of their hallway.

"Look" he stopped, causing her light chase to come to a halt "You don't know Mercedes okay. Like yeah she's nice and everything but she has a lot of things going on with her. Issues."

"We all have issues dear" Mary waived off, taking his words as an excuse to end the conversation.

"No Mom" He clarified steeping closer to her explaining in a low tone " She has a lot of family issues. Like she has so many issues Dr. Phil doesn't have enough time in an hour show to handle them all. And the last thing she or quite frankly I needs is a relationship. Especially one with a person with so much baggage." he huffed before he continued down the hall. "So please stay out of it" he requested

"Sam" Mary pleaded as she followed him past the room she was occupying.

Mercedes sat on the bed blankly as their voices trailed off down the hallway. She had just completed her task of writing her note and hiding everything under the bed sheet, when a knot had built in her throat from Sam's words, having a clear shot to hear all of his rant to his mother about her. She stood slowly, not feeling her legs under her. She opened the door widely peeking out, to find the hall totally clear. She walked quietly towards the door of the bedroom she was occupying in a bit of a daze.

"Hey Mercedes" Stacy called out chipper, startling her. "Are you ready to help me with my clothes?" she questioned excitedly, having pulled some of her options and laying them on her bed for her inspection.

"Uh yeah, sure" Mercedes agreed, already being pulled into the perky tween's room.

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><p>Sam and Steven went out into the hot Memphis sun, heading towards their secret fishing spot. The two boys found the area while inspecting the wooded area of their back yard one day many years ago. After a twenty minute walk into the thick tree covered back yard, the two came upon the small creek that ran through the tree covered area. It wasn't the mighty Mississippi, but it provided the boys enough entertainment to keep them occupied for hours, as they fished for small fish to bring home. They used it as a small get away, at first Stacy when she was little, then the reality of any of their family issues that arose. Now Sam was using it as not only an escape from his feelings about his father, and Mercedes, but as a tool to catch up with Steven. He hadn't realized how much he missed his younger brother, and how fast he and Stacy were growing up until this visit home. As the two sat water side, with their two baited hooks in the stream, Sam looked over to the wiry boy next to him and smiled.<p>

"So how is everything here?" Sam started

"Fine" Steven mumbled, his head down as he concentrated on his line wanting to be ready if it tugged.

"No really Stevie, How is it here when I'm gone?" Sam pleaded. He didn't realize but his father's episode the previous night made him feel out of the loop, as if there was more going on that he wasn't being let in on.

The younger Evans boy paused, wanting to tell Sam about the night his father almost killed himself in their family garage. The fear he saw in his mother's eyes, and how scared he was. But he though of the promise he made to the matriarch of their family, that they wouldn't burden Sam with that information. He touched the phone he got from his mother, as a "gift" for his silence through his jean pocket. "It's about the same as when you left" Steven answered softly.

"And Dad?" Sam asked for clarification.

"The same" Steven answered. "He misses you"

"I miss you guys too" Sam sighed.

"No" Steven shook his blonde head "Like he really misses _you_. He calls me you. Like, all the time" the teen revealed in a melancholy tone. "Like he wishes I was you"

"Steven" Sam sighed, his heart sinking at the implication in his younger brothers words. He realized just in that moment how being the main child his father at times remembered must have effected his younger siblings, especially his younger brother. "He loves you"

"Yeah" was all he got back in a tone of total disbelief of his words. That it was something nice to make him feel better.

"No Steven" Sam repeated touching his shoulder to insure he looked him in the eyes to drive home his point "Dad loves you." he said with more earnest and grit. "He really does" Steven lowered his head to look at his hands as if Sam's words where finally sinking in. "I can still remember when they brought you home from the hospital" he added with a small smile as the particular memory played in his mind. "The smile he wore when he looked at you. He adored you then, and he still does. It's just-" Sam sighed as he finally admitted to himself that he needed to hear the words he was about to speak just as much as Steven did. "He's sick and at times he can't help what he remembers or how he acts. But never forget he loves you very much"

Steven sighed, his face showing the needed maturity required to live his current situation. "You still remember all of that?" he asked in wonder and a bit of envy that Sam had so many more great memories of their father.

"Yeah" Sam grinned. "He was so happy holding you in his arms. And he bent down and showed me your face, and I have to admit you were a pretty cute baby." he nudged him playfully.

Steven snorted, allowing a small chuckle to shake his thin shoulders. "Well it didn't last" he added as a self deprecating joke.

"Hey, you're and Evans male" Sam said in a playfully authoritative voice "Which means you're good looking by default"

"Okay now I know you're joking" Steven chuckled in disbelief.

"No really" Sam reassured. "Heck you're much better looking then I was at your age"

"Yeah right" the teen scoffed.

"No really. You have your hair together, and dress way better then I did" the older blonde listed. "You just don't remember because I was your big brother and you always looked up to me and saw me as cool. But trust me at your much more savvy then I was. But I'm glad you are" Sam added "That way you can protect Stacy from any little boys that come around" They both laughed, a thing they hadn't shared in way to long. "Just continue to be your cool self and you'll see" he closed.

"Yeah Mercedes told me the same thing" Steven said with a soft shrug.

"Really? Did she now?" Sam said in a light tone to mask his real interest in the matter. " When was this?"

"Yesterday in the Comic store. She said just to be my self before Jenna magically came over to me" Steve explained.

"Jenna?" his older brother asked becoming even more invested in the story with the mention of a girl.

"Yeah. Jenna Riley, a girl in my class I like. I don't know how but some way Mercedes did some weird girl thing, that caused Jenna to come up to me in the comic store and ask me some things about what comics were cool and stuff." Steven recalled, an excited smirk gracing his mouth as he recalled everything. A steady silence fell upon them once again as they returned to their original task of fishing. "I think she's pretty" Steven pointed out after a moment.

"Jenna?" Sam smiled happy he was being let in on a part of his teen brother's life.

"Well yeah obviously her" Steven grinned. "But no I was talking about Mercedes. She's pretty"

"Yeah" Sam agreed turning his head to the water. "She is"

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><p>"Okay and I was thinking about this one, but I said to myself "Stacy, you're almost a teen. It's time you start dressing like one" the perky blonde chirped as she pulled out a Barbie tee, tossing into a pile of close she has deemed too "kiddy" for her "new" look.<p>

Mercedes had zoned out fifteen minutes into the girls clothing rant, somewhere between why although childish, Hello Kitty is still okay to wear, to why she needs a new hair cut including blue streaks to establish her new found "adulthood". Mercedes nodded kindly as the chatter swirled around her head, never allowing it to sink in, preoccupied with another set of words as Sam's assessment of her replayed on a loop.

Finally after a half an hour of polite nodding mixed in with pointing towards which shirt and pants would make her look "amazing" Mercedes excused herself from Stacy's presents with "I'm not feeling too well, mind if I go lay down for a while?"

"Oh sure" Stacy agreed figuring she would want to leave to spend some time with her brother once he returned from fishing. Mercedes nodded kindly patting the girl on her shoulder as she waked out of the very pink and white room, into the room Sam occupied for all of his formative years, just across the hall. Once she closed the door behind her, she leaned on it, feeling like her breath had been stolen once she was officially alone and able to process everything. She swallowed hard, as her jaw tightened. Her mind race as she tried to figure out what her next move would be. Her eyes locked on her phone perched on it's charger. She rushed to it and began to dial.

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><p>Sam and Steven retuned with a small haul of fish, dirty, sweaty but relaxed. Sam felt his lungs expand as he walked through the back sliding doors of their home and released his breath when he saw his father seated in his recliner deeply engaged in a baseball game. The entrance of his two son's started him a bit, but he smiled broadly as they walked in laughing, as Sam patted Steven on his back after a joke. "My boys. Catch anything good?" Dwight greeted as he stood, making his way towards them. "Sammy" he jubilantly embraced his eldest as if he hadn't seen him in years.<p>

"Hey" Sam sighed into his father's shoulder. He relished in the moment until he got a view of Steven's face, falter at the sight. He felt guilt in his gut for the moment, patting his father signaling the hug was over.

Dwight pulled back and patted Sam's cheek. He then turned to his youngest and beamed pulling the boy into his chest. "Stevie" he said softly squeezing him. "I swear I never really notice how big you've gotten" he openly commented while pulling back to get a full view look of the teen. "Or how handsome" she smiled with pride. "

"Even with the braces?" Steven commented, half joking, half serious.

"My boy" Dwight touched his neck in a warm and kind manner "Especially with the braces" Steven smiled while pulling his father into a powerful embrace. "But your hair is getting long" he added while rubbing the back of Steven's head and chuckled. "It maybe time for a hair cut"

"Hey Stevie, Sam, catch anything good?" Stacy questioned as she wondered into the spontaneous love fest.

"Yeah something's" Sam smiled as he observed the embrace break.

"Hey Cricket" Dwight smiled kissing his daughter gently on the head "Chirps the news?" he asked playfully reprising an old joke that they use to say when the young girl first started speaking intelligible words, as a play on her high pitched voice.

"Daddy" she giggled softly in a sing song voice "I'm not a baby anymore"

"No" Dwight relented "But you will always be my Cricket"

"Hey Stacy, where's Mercedes?" Sam questioned as he watched his sister grip their father's waist.

"Oh she's in her room" she answered with a shrug "I don't think she was feeling good. She said she need to lay down for a while"

Sam nodded deciding not to disturb her rest. He walked towards the bathroom to clean up, kissing the top of his sister's head as he did. While in the shower he finally allowed himself to think about his feelings for Mercedes. When his mother confronted him earlier that day, he was in no mood to think of a relationship deciding to focus on his father. But once he realized that his father is still his father no matter what his outburst are, he chose to focus on what the slumbering girl in the other room meant to him. He had to admit, he never anticipated feeling the way he did about her. However if honesty was with him, Sam had to admit to himself his feelings where going past a notion of friendship. But was it love? Was it that strong? Once the water began to cool, and he still had no answer he left the bathroom, content that he had at least reached that far in his consideration.

Mary took the fish that her sons had caught, boning them and frying them in a light cornmeal batter for dinner. Sam began to worry when she called the house to the table, and Mercedes had failed to emerge from her room. As the family settled in to share the meal, his ears perked as he noticed the familiar squeak of his bedroom door hinges. But the sound he heard afterwards shocked him, as Mercedes walked into the kitchen, her suitcase wheels creating a small rumbled as it was being tugged behind her.

"Mercedes?" Sam asked

"Thank you for your hospitality" she cut him off before he could finish asking what was going on "But I'm headed back to New York"

"Now? But why?" Stacy wined a bit as she turned to face the woman.

"My job called me and I have to get back" She explained

"But during the Holiday? And right at this moment? You can't even stay for dinner?" Mary questioned, showing as much disappointment as her young daughter.

"Yeah" Steven agreed "And we never had "our talk"" he pointed out.

"And the fireworks?" Stacy added for good measure.

"I'm sorry" she apologized her jaw tightening. "I have to get back as soon as possible, and my fight leaves in an hour and a half so I have to leave right now"

"Mercedes" Sam said standing and walking close to her "Is everything alright?" he questioned, worried she had been hold up in her room most of the day and was now making a seemingly impromptu departure.

"Everything is fine, buddy" she said coolly looking him in his eyes with a stone glare.

"Well" Sam sighed "Let me at least drive you-"

"My cab is outside now" she interrupted. "It was great meeting everyone of you. Thanks so much again" she waived as she hastily made her way to the door leaving the family sad, and Sam baffled.

By the time he stepped out of the door, Mercedes had already made it to the waiting vehicle, handing her luggage off to the driver, for him to place in the trunk. He stepped onto his porch as she climbed into the backseat and slammed the door closed behind her. As the driver drove off, Mercedes took one last glance at Sam watching her leave, her teeth clenched shut as she left.

The rest of dinner, although pleasant was noticeably missing a certain presence. Sam would absent mindedly allow his gaze drifting towards her empty chair, his feelings hurt when he constantly noticed it was unoccupied.

Once dinner was over, Sam decided because it was now vacant, he would move back into his old room. As he gathered his things from his father's office, he plopped down on the pullout, when he heard a piece of paper crunch under him. Unsure of what he was possibly leaving in the room, Sam scooted back, while pulling the sheets back towards him. He was shocked to find two t-shirts neatly fold, with a piece of slightly crinkled paper on top of them. His eyes lit up as they ran over the shirts. One bright blue with Jake Sully's Avatar face in the center, the other bright red with an electric lightening bolt down the center of it, as it cut through a white circle and gold ring. He gently touched the fabric running his digits over the screen printed emblem. He then picked up the paper and read over it's message.

"Sam,

Here are two super heroes, for mine. Thanks so much for all you've done. I genuinely appreciate it.

Love Mercedes"

His eyes and mind lingered on one word as he re-read her loopy and soft handwriting. He touched her pen marks and sighed. It was as a light had turned on by seeing that one word from her hands. He did love her and the overwhelming need to tell her, in English this time, pulled at him. He grabbed his phone, but put it down when he realized that one, he didn't know if she had landed yet, and two it wasn't anything that he could say over the phone. He flipped his phone in his hand repeatedly anxious to tell her. That second he determined that the moment his feet his New York pavement, he would tell face to face her just how he felt.

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><p><strong>So yeah. I hope you guys buckle in cause this ride just got a bit bumpier. LOL love ya!<strong>


	25. Chapter 25: I best tidy up my head

**Hi. So thanks for all of the new and old follows and faves. it's a great feeling to know that people are keeping up with this story. And for all of the reviews thanks for you verbal feed back on this story. I love reading them, so keep em coming!**

**So wow 25 chapters in. Huh. Well this one is a short one but it has some meat to it. Its named after part of one of my favorite Adele songs. Finish the lyrics and you'll kind of understand why I named it this.**

**So as I always ask all of my readers, please:**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review **

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><p><strong>Chapter 25: I best tidy up my head…<strong>

"_You have __**one**__ new message" beep_

"_Hey 'Cedes, I just made it back home… funny I call this home now. Anyway, I have to say we missed you on the fourth. My mom wants to know when you'll be back to visit. Stacy made me promise to tell you that her outfit was amazing, and I got to meet Jenna. Stevie is such a gonner. But I know how that is. So anyway, I wanted to know, if you wanted to meet up with me for drinks? There is some important things I wanted to talk to you about and I… I can't say it over the phone. So call me back when you get this. This is Sam by the way."_

Mercedes pressed the delete button on her phone and tossed it back on her couch cushion. She picked up her remote and turned it back up as Adele filtered through her speakers. She looked out of her window to the sky line and sighed as she took another drink of her Kahlua. She glanced over at the hand sketched artwork Sam had given her and rolled her eyes, as it leaned on the floor against the wall, begging to be hung. She stood up promptly after staring at it for a moment, and yanked it off of the floor. She quickly located her coat closet and tossed it in the windowless room, slamming the door behind her. She leaned against the door, pressing her whole body against it as if prevent a monster from leaving it's confines. "Pull it together Jones" she said to herself as she reclaimed her place on her couch, taking a large swig of her drink.

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><p>"<em>You have <em>_**one**__ new message"_

"_Hey so the funniest thing just happened. I was sitting at my drafting table working on some new sketches. Anyway, Finn bust through my door, all excited and says "Hey I get it! She told you about how freakishly big your mouth is, but her thighs where covering your ears! Ha! That's so funny!" At first I didn't know what he was talking about but then I remembered from the first day I met the group. Can you believe that? I mean how long ago was that? Anyway I called you a few days ago, and you never returned my call. In fact you never called me to let me know you made it home safely. I mean if you're not bound and gagged somewhere can you call and let me know you're not? Anyway, call me… I really need to talk about something really important. So call me when you get time. Please? This is Sam. Bye."_

Mercedes pressed the delete button on her phone voice mail and sighed as she leaned back in her chair. She shook her head and chuckled lightly to herself. After letting off a deep breath, she returned to what she was doing, as she taped more pictures to her image board for Sam's looming party. As she organized the color pallet she huffed, not impressed by Sam's persistence, but if she were honest, it was a funny story.

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><p>"<em>So Kurt came over yesterday, and said you had lunch with him and Tina the other day. Well I was glad to hear you were safe and everything. But I still don't understand why I haven't heard a peep from you since you left Memphis. And they said you seemed fine, but you canceled on practice the other day. So what's going on? I'm not a total narcissist but I can't help but think, are you avoiding me? Did I do something? Mercedes if I did, I would really like to know what it was? Call me when you get this. I-I miss… I miss talking to you. I- I miss you. This is Sam"<em>

Mercedes grit her teeth as she deleted Sam's message. She picked up the sheet music she was going over before she got the phone call that she ultimately ignored. She had gotten the go ahead from Santana and didn't want anything to possibly effect what she was determined to do. He would hear from her soon enough, but she had to prepare herself before that time.

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><p>Sam sat at the mixing board of the practice space, a ball of nervous energy. He hadn't seen Mercedes in what felt like months, however it had only been about a week and a half since he had heard her voice. He had to settle on hearing how she was from the others in the group who she had found the time to hang out with. He had been calling her, frantically, but a small part of him was relieved that he hadn't spoken to her, considering he had yet to know exactly how he was going to convey his feelings. He tried to write it all down, but it came out a disjointed, and vague mess. So he decided instead to allow his feelings guide him, knowing that the words would come once he saw her, that is if he ever saw her. He had become frustrated with her obvious dodging of him. He couldn't understand why she was, but he was determined to find out why. He bit the side of his thumb nail, his knee bounced absent mindedly while the rest of the group buzzed around him, talking and laughing, as they rested between songs.<p>

"Hey Mamma" he heard Puck exclaim. He turned around to see her walk into the studio, with a bright smile on her face as she gazed around the room greeting everyone. Her hair down in soft curls and her skin with a soft sun kissed glow. She looked breath taking, and he forgotten just how she effected a room when she entered it.

"Took you long enough" Santana huffed. "I know you called but dang Wheezy I didn't know you would be this late"

"Good" Artie smiled turning around to face her as she walked farther into the studio. "You're finally here. Now you and Sam can go over Syrup and Honey"

That's when their eyes finally met, and Sam couldn't help but notice that her eyes lost its warm glow, only to replaced with an ice cold glare. "Oh yeah" she huffed as she eyed him briefly before addressing Artie. "I don't want to do that song anymore"

"What?" Artie questioned as rolled closer to her.

"Yeah" Sam agreed shocked from being broad sided with her refusal to perform with him.

"Yeah well it slows down the whole show" Mercedes explained nonchalantly as she put her bag down and headed to the performance area. "I don't think we need to put the set to sleep. So I've picked a different song. Here" she said shoving a CD into Artie's hands "After clearing it with San"

"And" Santana interrupted "You promised to clear all of my IOUs"

"Actually I said I'd forgive half of your IOUs. And with all the IOUs you owe me I still have enough to own your ass well into our mid-lives" Mercedes corrected before walking into the recording area.

"But you guys heard that though right?" Santana confirmed with the rest of the group. "She said they're gone right?'

Artie rolled his eyes as he put on the instrumental music. Mercedes bopped a bit to the melody as she slapped her thigh to the rhythm. She took a deep breath opened her eyes and began to sing:

All I can ever be to you is a darkness that we know

And this regret I got accustomed to

Once it was so right when we were at our high

Waiting for you in the hotel at night

I knew I hadn't met my match but every moment we could snatch

I don't know why I got so attached

It's my responsibility and you don't owe nothing to me

But to walk away, I have no capacity

He walks away,

the sun goes down

He takes the day but I'm grown

And in your way in this blue shade

My tears dry on their own

I don't understand, why do I stress the man

When there's so many better things at hand

We could a never had it all,

we had to hit a wall So this is inevitable withdrawal

Even if I stop wanting you, a perspective pushes through

I'll be some next man's other woman soon

I cannot play myself again,

I should just be my own best friend

Not fuck myself in the head with stupid men

He walks away, the sun goes down

He takes the day but I'm grown

And in your way in this blue shade

My tears dry on their own

So we are history, your shadow covers me

The sky above, a blaze

He walks away, the sun goes down

He takes the day but I'm grown

And in your way in this blue shade

My tears dry on their own

I wish I could sing no regrets and no emotional debts

'Cause as we kiss goodbye the sun sets

So we are history, the shadow covers me

The sky above, a blaze that only lovers see

He walks away, the sun goes down

He takes the day but I'm grown

And in your way my blue shade

My tears dry on their own

He walks away, the sun goes down

He takes the day but I am grown

And in your way my deep shade

My tears dry on their own

He walks away, the sun goes down

He takes the day but I'm grown

And in your way my deep shade

My tears dry!

Sam's spine snapped as she hit that last note. The entire time she sang the rest of the group members sang and bounced around him as she sang her heart out. But what they didn't notice was the fact that as each syllable left her round softly glossed lips, her eyes bore straight into him. And although she sang with a flawless tone and pitch, it was also full of anger, pain, that scared him a bit.

For the rest of the practice, Mercedes avoided Sam's gaze, while he counted down the minutes to get her alone to ask her the many questions that raced through his mind. After playing guitar behind Santana and Tina's duet of "My Same" by Adele, the last song of the day, he looked up to see Mercedes walking out of the door as she left a few minutes before practice was officially done. He quickly put down his instrument and raced out to follow her out into the hall to find she had already made it onto the elevator and was headed down. Sam quickly located the emergency exit and took the steps down by two to the first floor. He made it just as he saw her walking out of the door of the building. Almost totally out of breath, he ran out of the door, following her.

Mercedes took a deep breath happy she had made it into her truck without having to talk directly to Sam. She had allowed her song choice do all of the talking and explaining that needed. She was just about to put her keys into the ignition when her passenger side door flew open, Sam hopping in side slamming it behind him.

"God Sam!" She exclaimed, half scared that he was a possible attacker and half upset she hadn't been able to shake him when she managed to make it to the elevator, what she thought undetected.

"What is up with you?!" he questioned, the first words he had been able to speak to her since he watched her ride away to the airport that night in Memphis.

"Nothing, just get out" Mercedes huffed, wishing she could make him disappear.

"No" he refused fed up with being in the dark as to why none of his numerous phone calls had gone answered. "Now I have been calling you and trying to talk to you but you have been avoiding me. The thing is I have no clue as to why you aren't talking to me! I mean I thought we were friends, and you just run out on dinner, with my family" he explained, becoming peeved at the final part. "With no explanation why"

"Oh I don't know Sam" Mercedes said sarcastically, angry that he had the nerve to question why she left. "You know maybe one of my _**many **_family issues called me away. You know my daddy issues. Oh or was it my mother. You know I have so many, I get them mixed up"

"What?" Sam questioned not understanding.

"You know Sam, my many family issues. The ones that give me such baggage that I can't be in a functional relationship. The baggage that prevents Dr. Phil from being able to help me in his allotted hour time slot" she spat. "Maybe he can do a serious to fix my broken life. He has that special house for people like me right?"

Sam sat stunned, realizing it was the same example he had given his mother that morning in his house. His mouth hung open unsure of how to proceed after being hit with the information that she had heard his rant. "Mercedes" he said softly wanting to explain.

"Just get out of my truck" Mercedes huffed not wanting him to say another word to her as she turned her attention to the windshield in front of her..

"Mercedes look-" he began again, as his mind raced on how to make this situation right by explaining his comments.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY TRUCK SAM!" she yelled, turning her fact to him. That's when he saw it. He saw tears begin to stream down her cheeks. Mercedes was crying, the one thing she promised she never do over any man, after that afternoon she begged her father not to leave. The sight sent a chill down his spine. He opened the door without another word, as she started up the engine wiping away the evidence of her hurt simultaneously. He took a step back onto the side walk as Mercedes quickly checked her blind spot to make sure the street was clear before she skirted into traffic, speeding away from the building, just as the rest of the group was coming out. Finn stood next to a still silent Sam.

"Man, I wonder what has her so in a hurry?" Finn asked seemingly to no one as they watched her truck speed off, disappearing into the mix of cars and taxies.

"I don't know" Sam answered shrugging his left shoulder, not even taking the time to cover the tick. But he knew the real reason she was so upset and he finally understood why all of his voicemails went unanswered. But what he didn't know was how he was going to make everything right.

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><p><strong>So yeah that was harsh huh? But don't freat my loves because the next chapter will at least have a party in it. No good? *Hangs head* lol don't worry we'll get there. Love ya for reading!<strong>


	26. Chapter 26: It comes before Part B

**Hi. So thanks for all of the faves and follows I have gotten. I'm always thankful to find those updates in my e-mail. And to all of the people who take extra time to not only read but review thanks for your input. I love hearing what you think after you've read an update. **

**So Chapter 26 huh? And I know the last chapter was emotional. But hey like I promised there is at least a party in this chapter. And I have a small shout out to one of my favorite authors on this site. I hope she notices it. Because I know how much she loves the fact that Finn loves cake (Hint hint LOL)**

**So like I've been asking you to do for the previous 25 chapters, please:**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review. **

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><p><em><strong>It comes before Part B<strong>_:

"Make sure the ice doesn't melt, we have to keep that shrimp cold" Mercedes reminded some of the hired food servers as they huddled around her, waiting for her orders. "And keep the Champaign flowing" she instructed another small group of well dressed drink waitresses and bar staff. "I don't want to see an empty glass tonight, especially before the speech. And remember even if the person is an ass, just smile, nod and say "No problem". And then come and get me" she said to the entire wait staff. "Now let's have a great night!" she smiled sweetly. All nodded or gave some indication that they understood what she was saying before the group broke and scattered to man their stations.

Mercedes closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay" she sighed to herself after all of her worker bees had started to prepare "Let the party begin".

The pending party was the culmination of her weeks of hard work, planning, organizing, and staying within budget to throw an impressive launch of Sam's comic. Although it had nearly been two week since she had thrown him out of her truck, in tears, she maintained her dedication to throwing an elite party that she would be proud to put her name on. Because although he had hurt her feelings, this was her business. And despite her current feelings about Sam, this party was going to be fabulous.

And she made damn sure it was nothing less than that. Mercedes oversaw every detail of the event, making sure it represented not only Sam's vision, but showcased her ability to throw a well thought out themed event for any potential clients who may be in attendance. She focused on some of the main themes of the comic, which was based on a pair of orphaned super natural siblings as they navigate the wilderness after World War III ended with the release of nuclear bombs. The pair become attached at the hip to a young male adult who begrudgingly takes them under his wing as he ends up being their chosen protector.

The menu included finger foods with post apocalyptic names and included ingredients claimed to have the ability to survive the end of the world, including one dish she found in a Hawaiian cook book featuring the canned mean Spam. She also found an amazing baker who came up with a Twinkie like sweet.

The decorations were equally as impressive, particularly a large ice sculpture of the main characters adorning each of the large buffet tables and drink areas. Blown up posters of scenes from the comic adorned the walls as large murals, causing the room to be dripping with Sam's creation. She even went so far as to collaborate with the DJ creating a playlist as to what music should be played.

And although she had impressed herself with her ability to orginize such an elaborate event, being surround by his work was slightly suffocating for Mercedes. She had found an effective plan to avoid Sam during their group rehearsals, either showing up late and leaving early citing work as her main reason, or calling in stating that she wouldn't be able to make it in at all. With the end of the party and her excuse to be distant at practice looming, Mercedes was left to figure out how she would continue to co-exist with Sam with no obvious buffer.

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><p>Once the party was in full swing, the music pumping and drinks flowing, Mercedes became so busy with small kitchen hiccups and guest list checks, that she almost missed the guest of honor's arrival. It was brought to her attention, however, when she felt a large hand snake onto her shoulder while she was ordering one of the bar tenders to double check to make sure they had received all 20 cases of Champaign for the evening. She turned quickly to find two smiling eyes.<p>

"Oh goodness" she chuckled lightly as she gently hit him and pulled him into a quick hug "Finn! You scared me" She turned her head to find Rachel holding on to his arm tightly glowing happily, excited to be his plus one.

"Sorry" he grinned mischievously as he watched Mercedes hug his girlfriend. "I got excited when I saw you over here and had to come over to say, great job"

"Yes Mercedes" Rachel agreed as she took in everything around her "This looks amazing"

"Thanks" Mercedes waived off.

"Sam is going to love this" Finn quickly added. "I mean you have everything here"

"Yeah I tried" Mercedes mumbled as she, despite not wanting to, gazed around for a blonde head of hair possibly making its way towards them. "So how does it feel to come to one of these for Finn?" she asked Rachel quickly trying to change the topic from anything Sam could like.

"I have to say I love it" Rachel admitted smiling proudly up at her man.

"Yeah me being freelance doesn't allow me to go to things like this too often" Finn shrugged. "It's pretty cool"

"Well, there is plenty of food and drinks, so enjoy yourself guys" Mercedes smiled as she saw that one of the food trays was looking a little too skimpy for her taste. "If you excuse me" she apologized as she made her way over to the table "Duty calls".

Suddenly, she felt the undeniable urge to look towards the entrance. That's when she witnessed Sam walk through the double doors of the building. His golden hair slicked back, his suit clearly tailored for his form, as its dark navy fabric hung perfectly off of his broad shoulders. In that subdual glance, she froze to take in the view as he made his fashionably late arrival, seemingly in slow motion.

"Damn, he looks good" she whispered to herself as she exhaled her eyes sprinting over his body from head to the tips of his shined shoes. Then she noticed him look back and extend his hand, seemingly to escort someone through the doors. Taking his hand, Tiffany came into full view, dressed in a long black gown, her hair in an classic up-do that showed off her bone structure. Mercedes gritted her teeth adding silently "for a douche bag" to his description, and continued towards the table, hopping to stay out of their sights for the whole of the celebration.

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><p>Sam looked around the venue in amazement. He was in awe of how Mercedes had managed to turn the lobby of his building into what was in front of his eyes. His lips hung open slightly as he scanned the walls almost not recognizing the area he had seen just that very morning, totally transformed into his comic world.<p>

"This is beautiful" Tiffany announced as they walked farther into the door. "I mean she has everything here"

"Yeah" Sam agreed. "She does" His eyes ran over the room scanning the crowed for a pair of particularly familiar coco brown ones.

"Let's go get drinks" his escort suggested after noticing his eyes rummaging the rest of the patrons, as she tugged him towards the bar.

Mercedes had succeeded in staying out of sight as she bounced from the food area, and the bar, making sure that the food and drinks where in abundance. She started to let her guard down, and pat herself on the back for her ability to make it through most of the event without running into Sam or his date. While overseeing the pouring of the numerous glasses of Champaign for the big toast she started to breath a bit easier.

"Great party" she heard over her shoulder near her ear just above a whisper. His breath causing the hairs on her neck to stand at attention and caused a chill that completed a lap down her spine and back. She turned taking in a large smile and two emerald eyes.

Sam took in Mercedes, astonished how delicious she looked, although it was a working event for her. She was in a coral strapless dress, her cleavage rising to greet him. The length of her hem was a little past her knees, and included a small peplum around her hip area accentuating one of his favorite areas on her body.

"Thank you Mr. Evans" she responded in an icy manner turning back to her task obviously annoyed by the interruption.

"You really did an amazing job" he added closing back on to her ear, in an attempt to regain her attention.

"Well I am being paid handsomely to do so Mr. Evans" she said dismissing his complements as she snaked her way from the area walking quickly towards the restrooms.

"Mercedes" Sam sighed in a pleading manner as he walked just as quickly behind her. "Will you please talk to me? "

"Is there something wrong Mr. Evans?" she questioned in a formal tone.

"Yes" he huffed frustrated "I've called you to explain everything and you have still ignored me. I just want a chance to talk about everything. And what's with all of this Mr. Evans crap?"

"Well Mr. Evans, this is a job event for me, work." she pointed out, showing him her clip board and ear piece jammed in her ear that keep her abreast of any problems. "This is not a social calling"

"I know that, but I mean do you have to be so formal?" Sam asked touching her forearm lightly "I mean we're friends"

"No Mr. Evans" Mercedes corrected pulling her arm away from his strong fingers "We were friends, but that is over. In fact, the only reason I am required to have this conversation with you is because you are my client. And as my client I am required to ensure that everything is to your liking. So Mr. Evans is there enough food?"

Sam shook his head answering "Yes" as if were an obvious answer.

"And Drinks? is there enough drinks for your guest Mr. Evans?" Mercedes quickly added.

"Drinks? Yes there are enough drinks" Sam answered "Merce-"

"And the decorations? Music? are they all okay?" she cut him off.

"Yes" Sam gave up, seeing that their conversation would not go beyond the formal barrier she had put up.

"Well Mr. Evans we have nothing, not one thing, farther to discuss. Because as a client you are satisfied with my job performance, and that is all that I am required at this time to give you" she said coldly. "Now, I suggest you go find your date" she said lightly although he felt the sting in her words. "Wouldn't want her to get lonely" she added as she left, making her way to the ladies room, leaving Sam to stand in one spot helplessly and watch her walk away.

Once securely in the restroom, Mercedes leaned against the door and allowed her lungs to deflate with relief. She wanted to be angry and not smell his cologne or notice how he had gotten a fresh trim for his hair. She slinked over to the sink as if all of her energy had been stolen, just by being near him. Placing her hands on either sides of the basin she stared into its drain and took a long, calculated breath. "Only a few more hours Jones" she told herself in a hushed tone. "A few more hours and you're done"

Suddenly the sound of a flushing toilet startled her. She hadn't considered that there would possibly be another soul in the bathroom. And when the stall door opened she didn't consider Sam's date to emerge. Tiffany walk up next to Mercedes as she attempted to look busy washing her hands, and reapplying her lip gloss.

"Hi" Tiffany said cordially as she began to mirror Mercedes, and wash her hands.

"Hello" Mercedes responded as kindly as she could muster considering the situation "Tiffany right?" she questioned although she knew well who this woman was.

"Yeah" she agreed. After a very long and awkward pause Tiffany smiled adding "This is an amazing party" Mercedes forced a smirk briefly as an acknowledgement of the complement before she headed for the door. "He really appreciates this" Tiffany added to the other woman's back. "All of the hard work you put into this"

"Yeah well" Mercedes huffed wondering why she wasn't being allowed to just flee the situation without a whole lot of conversation. "It's my job" she turned around for a moment before continuing her direction to the door.

"Look I know it's not my place, but-" Tiffany started in an attempt again to stop Mercedes.

"Look I have a lot to do, and your right, it's not" Mercedes cut off whatever else was about to follow behind that opening "Have a great time" she added before rushing out the door to find another task to occupy her, while doing a better job of keeping out of sight.

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><p>"I'd like to thank everyone for making it out here tonight" Mr. Jake Lancer, Sam's superior and the man who originally turned down his comic, greeted over the microphone, gaining the attention of the entire party, hushing the crowd. "I have to say this is an a very exciting time for our publishing company. It is always a great time, when we have a reason to celebrate, especially when the vision of one of our newest members has caused such a stir in our large but cozy publishing world. When this young man entered my office I knew he would be an amazing asset to us, and he has turned out to be much more." Lancer smiled stoically.<p>

"And I must admit, when he first came to me with the idea of this comic, he was so excited, and pumped to let me hear what his vision was for his comic. And me? Well I turned him down flat. But instead of taking my no, Mr. Samuel Evans, driven by his want for this comic to see the light of day, took the initiative to find his good friend Mr. Finn Hudson, where are you by the way Finn?" he asked, shielding his eyes from the spotlight on him. Finn raised his hand to show he was in attendance and for the recognition.

"There you are, like you're that hard to find" Lancer joked, causing a small chuckle from the audience as he pointed out how Finn obviously towered over the rest of the room. "But he got his friend Finn, and they created a site that was interactive, engaging and most importantly entertaining. And I must say I have never been so happy to be so wrong. So Sam? Get up here and say something"

Sam made his way through the crowd to the front of the room to join his boss on stage to the sound of warm and welcoming applause from the bodies he passed. "Thanks Mr. Lancer" Sam smirked after taking the microphone "I glad you were wrong too" he admitted, eliciting a laugh for his honesty. "This comic was a labor of love. But it wouldn't have seen the light of day if it wasn't for someone special pushing me to find another way to get it out" he confessed, locking eyes with Mercedes at the back of the room, watching from the other side of Finn. "So thank you" he nodded. "And thanks to my partner in crime in this Finn, and all of you for coming tonight to support me. It's amazing to me that we are here for something I created and I am very grateful"

Lancer took the microphone back quickly prompting everyone to raise their glasses in a toast to Sam. The room did as asked, saluting the man of the hour. "Oh" Jack added after taking a large gulp of his Champaign "And I have more good news. Finn as agreed to become head of our IT division here in New York" He smiled. The room smiled as Rachel gasped surprised and excited by the information. Mercedes grinned as Rachel practically jumped into his arms joining in with the cheer. Mercedes gently patted him on the back as a congratulation. " And I know we have only discussed this briefly" Lancer continued hushing the crowd, "but not only will we be leading with his comic, this fall, Sam has also been asked to head our soon new California office. That's right we're expanding to the West Coast!"

Mercedes head snapped up to the stage amidst the "Oh's" and applause of the news. "So I know it's not official, but Sam may not be here with us in New York for long" Jack chuckled. "Everyone drink! We're paying enough for it"

And with that dismissal, the crowd began to mingle again, many walking to the stage crowding around Sam, to continue to shower him with congratulations, and job advice.

"Finn?" Mercedes called, gaining the larger man's attention "Sam's leaving?"

"What? oh no" Finn waived off. "They offered both of us a place in California" he explained with a shrug. "But I turned them down-oh cake!" he exclaimed as he noticed the confection being served, pulling his focus from the current conversation. He made his way over to the table to get one of the first freshly cut pieces.

"Finn, focus!" Mercedes demanded following behind her friend.

"Oh yeah" he smirked after a small fork full of the treat. "They offered us both a position in Cali, but I turned it down"

"Why?" Mercedes inquired

"Well one Rachel would flip. I mean she is all about Broadway and she is so close to getting there. That plus this is home now. I can't leave you guys. Not now. So I took a position here" he smiled.

"What about Sam?" Mercedes pressed, a small knot forming in her stomach.

"Sam? I don't think he's going to go. I haven't really had time to talk to him about it, but I mean he's happy here. I don't think we have anything to worry about" Finn reassured before heading back to Rachel with another piece of cake in his hands, and a smug grin on his face.

Mercedes looked back to catch Sam glancing at her, through the crowd of well wishers. She grit her teeth, half of her still infuriated with him, the other half, praying he decided to stay.

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><p><strong>So, that was fun right? Get it? Comes before part b? Part A? Party. Yeah lol. And I told you someone would be back.<strong>

** So next chapter will deal with some issues coming to pass and decisions being made. And I hope Mariposfria liked the S/O. Because cake Finn is fun. LOL Love you guys for reading. **


	27. Chapter 27: It Cometh Before The Fall

**Hi. So thanks to all of those who have add this story as their favorite or to their story alerts, and me to those same two list for authors. It's really amazing that people want to read anything that I write. You guys are so sweet. And to my reviewers, thanks for every piece of feedback given. I do read them all because I understand it's time out of your lives to not only read but to write me back. So thanks.**

**So I know it's been an obscenely long time since I have updated. Life has kind of giving me a lot to deal with. That and I had a terrible bout of writers block with the flow of this chapter. But here is your update. The title is pretty accurate so take it how you'd like. And I will be updating sooner, much, much sooner than this one. We only have like five chapters left in this story (I feel like my favorite book when I was a child where Grover from Sesame Street would keep reminding the reader there is a monster at the end of the book. This has nothing to do with anything btw. I'm just rambling) So no I haven't abandoned this story. I will finish it. **

**So as I have asked you for the last *counts* 26 chapters, please**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review **

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><p><em><strong>It Cometh Before the Fall<strong>_

"Guys, Sam's leaving"

Finn's opening words for his early morning emergency meeting where just enough to jolt the rest of the group awake, and stop their grumbling about the time. Only a few days following their successful launch party, Finn sent an emergency text that everyone had to meet the following day at the studio. When she read it, Mercedes knew something had to have been wrong. Nothing got Finn out of bed so early other than some sort of crisis, or cooking. She just didn't know that it would be this particular topic. Especially, since he had seemed so sure the night of the party, that Sam would be staying despite the new job offer in California. As all of the New Direction, plus Brittany, who tagged along with Santana, piled into the engineering room, Mercedes knew this would not be a pleasant get-together.

"Wait what?" Mike questioned, still a bit groggy. "Sam's leaving? Where is he going?"

"We both got job offers" Fin explained. "To move out to California to open a new office for his publishing company. I turned my offer down, wanting to stay here for Rachel, and the group. And, I thought Sam would do the same, seeing as he just basically got here." he shrugged slightly pacing the floor in front of his friends. "But it looks like he may be leaving"

"You just said "maybe". Is he or isn't he Stimpy?" Santana growled giving a glowing example of how much of a morning person she was.

"I'm not sure" he responded with a nervous shrug.

"Well, did he say anything?" Tina questioned leaning towards her large fidgeting friend.

"Well, he hasn't officially confirmed it, but he has been asking me a lot of questions. Like, would it totally kill me on rent if he did take the job? And if he left how fast could he be replaced? Things like that" Finn confessed.

"I don't get it" Artie huffed, disappointed at the prospect of losing the new band member. "I thought he was happy here"

"Yeah, he just basically just got here" Puck chimed in. "And now he's bailing? That's just weak"

"Well, has he said anything to you about it Mercedes?" Kurt questioned forcing her out of her silent trance.

"Me? Why would he say anything to me?" She jumped defensively, as all of the rooms eyes landed squarely on her "I'm not his mother"

"Yeah, but you are his closest friend" Artie pointed out. "He talks to you more then he's talked to any of us"

"Exactly, so has Sam anything to you?" Finn piggy backed, stopping in front of Mercedes. "Like at the night of the party?"

"No" Mercedes shook her head. "We haven't talked much"

"Look, we can't waste time on this" Tina interrupted "If he is going we have to work on finding a replacement, and fast"

"Hey" Puck pouted

"Look, I like Sam too" Tina explained, trying to soften her seemingly hard stance on the issue. "But if he's set on going, there is no reason we can't have a back up in mind"

"I agree" Santana nodded "Sam was cool. He could play well, and his mouth could double as a storage facility. But, if he is set on leaving us, we have to work on finding a replacement so we're not totally screwed for the upcoming gig"

A small argument seemed to develop out of nowhere between those who wanted to secure a backup just in case Sam was really intent on leaving the group, against those who wanted to wait a moment to find out what his real intentions were. The voices of bickering and snide remarks swirled and wized around Mercedes head, as she sat quietly, trying to digest what she had just been told.

"Mercedes" Brittany interrupted cutting through the disagreement. "I have to see your odometer"

The room went silent as everyone's gaze fell on the perky blonde. "You have to see her what?!" Puck questioned wanting to make sure he heard her correctly.

"Her odometer. It's the gage on her truck that lets her know-"

"I know what an odometer is" he waived off "Why do you need to see it?"

"Yeah Brittany, we don't really have time for this" Finn agreed.

"But, I just remembered something and I need her to show it to me" Brittany wined a bit, pouting at Santana. Her girlfriend melted, never having been able to resist the look she was being given.

"Mercedes can you-" Santana started on lobbying for her girl.

"No, we don't have-" Artie cut her off

"Look, if Brittany says she needs to see the thingy-ma-jig" Santana defended

"Odometer" Brittany corrected

"Thank you, Odometer, then she will see the odometer! Mercedes can you please?" she pleaded sweetly.

Mercedes rolled her eyes and nodded, agreeing to take her downstairs to her jeep slightly thankful for the chance for fresh air. "Grab your purse" Brittany clapped as she headed for the door of the recording area. By the time she made it to the elevator, it was waiting for her, with Brittany on it. The taller woman closed the service doors and pressed the button to the ground floor. Mercedes sighed deeply as they began their decent down to the first floor, leaning against the wall, when she felt the shocking and scary jolt of the elevator coming to a sudden halt. She looked up to find that Brittany had pressed the manual stop button.

"What the hell Brit!" Mercedes gasped.

"You have to go talk to Sam" the blonde responded coolly, seemingly ignoring the anger and panic rising in Mercedes voice.

"I have to what?"

"Go, and talk to Sam" She repeated placing a small enfaces on each word. "To make him stay"

"Oh, honey" Mercedes soothed "Look, if he wants to go, I'm sure there is-"

"You love him" Brittany informed her.

"I what!? Who?" Mercedes shot back confused by the way the conversation was flowing.

"Sam. You're in love with Sam and he loves you" Brittany explained turning to face the woman across from her full on.

Mercedes began to chuckle "Oh Brittany, I think you're confused" she giggled.

"You do, ever since you guys have been sleeping together"

Mercedes paused from shock."Who told you that" she whispered, a chill running down her spine at the fact that she was being confronted with the information, that she and Sam had been together sexually.

"My nose did" Brittany shrugged innocently.

"Your what did what?" Mercedes leaned in unsure that she had heard her correctly.

"My nose told me that you and Sam were sleeping together. Pheromones don't lie" Brittany smiled. Looking into Mercedes eyes, she could tell that she was completely lost at the moment. "See Lord Tubbington taught me a long time ago the ancient art of how to read pheromones. It's how kitties find their mates. So, when I smelled you guys, and you smelled like you belong together, I knew you guys had been exchanging them. And to do that you have to have-"

"Wait, wait, so you're telling me that you think we were together because you could smell it?" Mercedes quizzed, reeking of disbelief.

"Yep" Brittany confirmed. "Cause your pheromones smell sweet like maple syrup, and Sam's smelled like hot pancakes. But when you were with Greg his smelled like boiled Asparagus. Maple syrup and Asparagus do not go together." she turned up her nose and shook her head as if attempting to get the smell out of her mind. "Anyway, that's how I knew you two belong together. Because nothing is better than syrup and hot pancakes. So you have to talk to him"

Mercedes squinted. She was unsure exactly how to process the data she was being fed by the sincere blonde in front of her. "Look, if I promise to talk to Sam, can I get out of this elevator?" she questioned just wanting the conversation to be over. Brittany nodded in confirmation. "Fine, I'll go and talk to him" she relented.

Brittany smiled, hitting the large red button, resuming the elevator's movement. Mercedes rode silently down to the ground floor, eyeing the woman next to her unsure if she was insane or brilliant. Once they'd hit the first floor Mercedes made her way to the doors of the building when she noticed she was alone. She turned back to find Brittany watching her leave, from her view, still on the elevator. "You're not coming with me?"

"No" Brittany answered "You guys have to talk alone"

"But what about the Odometer?" Mercedes inquired "Don't you still need to see it?"

"Oh, I already know you're at 145,678 miles" Brittany smiled as she started to close the doors of the service elevator. "Lord Tubbington and I keep count" she shouted out as the doors slammed shut.

Mercedes paused, not quite sure how or why the conversation she just had took place. She shook her head trying to forget what she had just experienced as she continued to head to her Jeep, and over to Sam's. But, curiosity got the best of her, and when she turned on her truck, she looked down at her Odometer to see exactly how many miles she had on it. To her surprise the number 145,677 was staring back at her. "She was one off" Mercedes shuddered for a moment before putting the truck in drive. As the tires rolled so slightly forward, so did the number to land on exactly 145,678 miles. Impressed Mercedes paused and shook her head in disbelief. "The freaking Dali Lama" she huffed, before pulling off and heading to Sam, and their impending talk.

* * *

><p>Sam moved quickly around his room, tossing things into his open suitcase. He's mind raced, and his heart pounded as his body pumped with anticipation. He had to go, and he had to go now. Fortunately, he was able to book a flight on a plane that would be leaving in just enough time, which made him even more anxious.<p>

His head shot up when he heard the keys jingle in the lock. He walked out to the shared living room space as he headed towards the sound of the opening door. "Finn, dude I got to go. I-" he started to find Mercedes on the other side of the door. Sam froze, shocked, totally taken off guard by her presence in his home, when she has made it more than clear she wanted nothing to do with him. "What are you doing here? Where's Finn?" he challenged.

"Well hello" Mercedes huffed as she closed the door behind herself. "And Finn is at the studio with the other, having a meeting"

"And you have a key?" Sam questioned squinting at this new bit of information. "Since when?"

"Yeah" she shrugged, "do you know you live with Finn Hudson. The man has left his key so many places in this city that if people ever figure out its your apartment you're in trouble. I mainly use these in emergencies."

Normally, such a quip would have given Sam a hardy laugh, but the fact that Mercedes was in his apartment with him alone threw him off of his original task. He paused, looking at her for a moment, before shaking his head stating in a slightly frantic tone "Well, whatever, if you excuse me, I have to finish packing" He turned and headed quickly for his room door.

"So it's true huh?" Mercedes choked out a bitter laugh "That's it? You're just going to take off without a word of good bye? Nothing"

Sam spun on his heels confused by her sudden willingness to speak after avoiding him for so long. "Why would you care what I did, seeing as you are "officially done" with me" he snarled.

"Oh, I don't" she gave right back in an angry tone "but you know, there are others here who actually do care about you. People who deserve to hear it from your mouth, and not from your roommate"

Sam froze, totally dazed by her words. "Wait, what are we talking about here?"

"The fact that you're planning a move to California without so much as an explanation, a thank-you, nothing" Mercedes answered.

"So what, you came here for was a what? A thank-you? An explanation? What?"

"Something!" Mercedes fired back "But not just to me, but to the rest of the group. To the people who took a chance on you. To the people who have invested time and feelings in you. They deserve at least that" she huffed folding her arms, in an attempt to keep the rage that was boiling inside of her at bay.

"Oh yeah?" Sam quizzed "And what about you?"

"What about me Sam?" She fed him back remembering why she was finished with him in the first place.

"What do you think you deserve?" he asked walking closer to her.

"From you?" She questioned, standing off against her taller opponent "Absolutely nothing. We had what we had, but that's obviously done. That, coupled with the fact you have a girlfriend, who you have probably failed to inform of your plans to leave also. I want nothing from you" she seared in the last sentence with an icy glare.

At her worlds Sam chuckles throwing his hands in the air and turning around as if he is headed for his bedroom door again. "What's so funny?" Mercedes questioned becoming irate at the thought that he was taking her as a joke. "I'm glad the thought of hurting people who actually took time to give a damn about you is so amusing"

Sam spun back around facing Mercedes staring straight into her large round eyes. "You just-" he started, but stopped, shaking his head. "Tiffany is not my girlfriend. She wanted to be" he admitted to Mercedes causing her to go into a deep eye roll. "Yeah, but the fact that I was so obviously hung up on someone else was a "deal breaker" for her" he mocked sarcastically using air quote around the phrase "deal breaker" to make his point.

"What are you talking abou-" Mercedes huffed

"You just never got it did you?" He asked mostly to himself, his voice soaked in frustration. "I took you to my home" he pointed out looking her dead in the eye.

"Yeah, as a friend" she waved off nonchalantly

"NO!" he demanded the anger of weeks of her avoiding him, finally getting the best of him "you still don't- I took you to my home. No one has gone to my home. Met my family, eaten at our family table. But I took you"

Mercedes dropped her hands. "Yeah" she agreed on the fact that he did take her home. "And I'm suppose to feel special, like you cared for me more than a friend, after I heard the "ringing endorsement" you gave me to your mother?" she yelled mocking him with the use of her own air quotes.

"But you met her!" he exclaimed. "Which is a hell of a lot more than any girl I've been in an actual relationship with has ever gotten" he admitted. He felt his feelings begin to well up inside of him, then he quickly remember his original task of packing. "I don't have time for-" he shrugged off turning away from Mercedes

"Oh, time for what?" she pressed, angry at his sudden dismissal.

"Time for this!" he said pointing between he and Mercedes. "Time for any of this"

"Of course you don't!" she yelled at his back causing him to stop dead in his tracks. "And you know why? Because you never have time for it if it's a relationship other than your family. Because you're a runner Sam. The first sign at things getting uncomfortable, you bolt!" she viciously spat.

"Oh, I'm the runner?" He turned around shocked by her indignation

"Yes you!" she confirmed.

"I'm the runner when you're the one who took off from my house without a word or explanation why. I'm the runner when you avoid me for WEEKS instead of just saying what was on your mind? But I'm the runner" he smirked "And I'm the runner when you are the one who came up with the idea of running away from this in the first place with the idea that we needed to see other people?" he questioned pointing between them.

"What this?" she asked seething with rage. "Sam there was no "this". There was sex, and that was it!" she shut him down. "There was no commitment, no reassurance of being more. You're just pissed cause I cut off the supply"

Sam shook his head amazed how she could refuse feeling anything. "Well, thanks for letting me know I was the only one who felt something more than sex when we were together. I guess I had to do one of your immature fairytale grand gestures to make you feel it." he shrugged "But, if that's really all we were to you, then you're right." he gave up glancing at the clock. "Now, can you please just go. I have to finish packing"

Mercedes gritted her teeth. "Right" she agreed "cause you have to finish packing so you can run away to your dream job in-"

"MY FATHER'S IN THE HOSPITAL!" Sam yelled cutting her off, causing the apartment to fall dead silent from the weight of his words. "I just got the call and I have a flight"

Mercedes gulped, never once thinking he could have been packing for a real emergency. "Sam" she said, softening her tone

"Just!" he shook before he took a deep breath "Go"

With that Mercedes picked up her hand bag and headed for the front door. Sam's feet felt cemented on the floor as he listed to the sound of her quickly paced footsteps, and the jingle of the keys as she opened the door and shut it forcefully. The loud bang acted as a trigger, allowing him to move again. His first action was slamming his open palm against the nearest wall. Angry at her, but mostly angry with himself. He walked to the hall of the entrance, and froze contemplating chasing her down and spewing all he really wanted to say. How he knows he runs from love, but she could have been the first person to change that. That he wasn't really angry with her, but that he was just scared, about his father. He sighed looking at the clock again, realizing he didn't have time. He turned to his room and resumed packing to ensure he would make his flight.

_But if he had gone out that front door..._

Mercedes paced outside of the apartment door, her body vibrating with emotions. She would periodically pause, and walk up to the door, ready to reopen it but stopping each time. She wanted him to know she knew he was scared. And that she did regret waiting so long to talk to him. That somewhere deep down she knew that Sam had real feeling for her. She knew because she felt them too knowing that they were way more than just sex. She sighed however, and headed down the stairs, figuring he needed to be alone, to think about his father and to finish packing.

* * *

><p><strong>Well... They talked. I know I know, they fought *hangs head*. But everything is out in the open for the most part. And we still have some things to get to and figure out and everything. There is a reason to all of this drama (I warned you a few chapters back of the emotional ride I planned). And there was a reason Brit walks around sniffing people lol. So like I said the title has meaning. I love all of you for reading.<strong>


	28. Chapter 28: Parental Guidence Suggested

**Hi guys. So I would as always like to thank you for your faves and follows of not only this story but my others and me as an author. I'm still shocked when I get a new alert. So thanks. And to my reviewers, thanks for taking the time to give me your feedback. I read and appreciate them all.**

**So it's the next chapter huh? (Finally! Am I right?) We are inching closer to the end here people. So please:**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Parental Guidance Suggested<strong>_

The rhythmic thumping of his leg, while lightly gnawing at an invisible hang nail on his right thumb, was a familiar and oddly soothing action for Sam, as he stared vacantly at the soundless television in his father's hospital room. He didn't care what was being shown, not missing the commentary, using the time to instead allow his thoughts to fill the empty space. His memory flashed through the events that landed him in a chair, seated next to his now peacefully slumbering father.

His mother remorsefully explained everything that resulted in his father's current state. He could tell that she regretted not informing him about the night she woke to find his father in an enclosed garage, with the car running. But he also understood that she assumed that the steps she had taken every night after, had rectified the potentially dangerous situation. However, as with anything man made or monitored, mistakes will happen. Routines can become lax, and accidents can, and will occur. And how was she to know that the one night she forgot to hide the keys, would be the same night Dwight got up and found them. The result was Mary waking to an empty bed, an open garage door, and her husband missing.

He painfully attempted to imagine the horror that engulfed his mother, the shrill screams for Steven to get out of bed, the panicked educed daze that filled the house. His lips spread into an oddly placed, small smile, as he imagined his younger brother's agility while bolting out of the door, taking over his role of protector. But, his pride was quickly snuffed out by the thought of his young sister, Stacy distraught and crying as they all canvassed the area, the early morning dew burning off as the Memphis sun rose higher in the sky, giving a blaring light to their terrifying reality: Dwight Evans was operating a vehicle, and no one, including Dwight, knew where he was.

Sam, sat up in his chair, gripping the arm rest, as he quickly turned his head to allow his brain the visual of his father in his bed resting, no longer lost. He sat back, exhaling deeply, resuming his previous leg shaking and finger nibbling. He reminded himself that, luckily, Dwight had only driven approximately five blocks to a nearby park. He was unable to come to a complete stop, running into a pole, causing cosmetic damage to the family car's bumper, but the force was enough to cause Dwight to hit his head on the steering wheel, slicing him above his left eye. When his mother got to him, he was not far from the scene of the accident, 911 called by a Mommy and Me type group who met in the park to exercise and gab.

Sam closed his eyes thanking God that other than the gash that require five stitches, and some body work on the car, his father was okay, and hadn't harmed anyone else, fully aware that the situation could have turned out much worse. He didn't even scold his mother who, he quickly rationalized, had been through enough, without him yelling at her for her failure to tell him about the initial car incident. He instead insisted that she and his younger siblings go home and rest, having been through so much already, declaring that he would stay the night with their father. And although he should have been comforted by the fact that he knew everyone was safe, Sam hardly slept a wink that night.

Sam slowly rubbed his tired eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose as his thoughts turned to Mercedes, and how he failed to give her the same amount of considerate he had given his mother. He leaned forward, his stomach doubled over, as he rested his elbows on his knees, his hands reassigned to the task of holding his head. His right knee continued to bounce, still serving as a release of nervous energy. He berated himself under his breath for how poorly he has treated her. From his initial words to his mother, to their argument right before he left for the airport, he regretted it all. He cursed himself realizing the first time in weeks he had been allowed to speak to her, he had mishandled it so badly. But, the surge of emotions from finding out that his father was hospitalized, coupled with the suppressed feelings he held for her bubbled out in a toxic brew that he could fully admit now in the sterile silence of the hospital room, was not only irrational, but totally misrepresented. Mercedes was absolutely right about him, he was a runner. But, for the first time in what seemed like forever, she was the first girl he actually wanted to run towards. He confessed to himself and God that when something happened, good or bad, she was the first person he actually wanted to share it with. This new attachment terrified him to his core.

But thinking back to their last meeting, she was incorrect about one thing. She did deserve an explanation of his actions. Of why, since high school, trust came hard for him. That just like with his family and their situation, he felt he had to keep his heart guarded from the world. That her kindness, not just sex, changed all that, and created a want of attachment in him. But his stomach sank as he realized, he was too late. She would never listen to him if he did. She would probably never forgive him. And after the way he acted, why would she?

"You know" a dry voice croaked, startling him Sam. "you'll grow grey early if you keep doing that"

Sam quickly lifted his head in enough time to find Dwight smiling sorely at his obviously distraught eldest. A whisper thin smile came to Sam's lips as he joked "the thought of Stacy dating is going to do it anyway"

"Oh" Dwight groaned in a painfully playful tone. "What are you trying to do son, put me in the hospital?" he mused. He quickly scanned his surroundings closing with an "Oh" in a playful tone.

"Not funny" Sam quickly dead panned.

"Oh Sam" Dwight grinned in an attempt to lighten the seriousness of his current situation. "I'm lucid enough right now to make jokes. Please, just laugh with me" he pleaded as he held his hand out to his child.

Hesitantly, Sam took the good will gesture, with a weary breath. "But all jokes aside" he scolded, wanting to reinforce the trouble his father had unknowingly caused "This was serious Dad. You could have been killed. Or killed someone"

"I know" Dwight admitted a small chill running down at the thought of taking another person's life.

"I think it's time I moved back home-" Sam started sternly.

"No!" Dwight demanded, cutting him off with a head shake, dropping Sam's hand in the process.

"Or" Sam quickly compromised seeing that the thought of him moving back home to care for them would never be an option for his father "I should move you guys out to California, and take the job by boss offered me"

Dwight squeezed his eyes shut, as if somehow Sam's word hurt them. "And what about your life?" he quizzed. "You're happy in New York"

"What life? You are my life" Sam insisted sliding to the edge of his seat. "This family is my life"

"No son" Dwight corrected "We are a part of your life. I'm talking about the rest of your life, like your friends? And your girlfriend?"

Sam jerked back, shocked by his father's questions "I don't-"

"And before you deny everything" Dwight continued, in a tone that showed that he was in no mood for an argument "I want to tell you a story. The first time my father, your Paw Paw, saw me with your mother, did you know he said he knew she was the one?" he asked as he slowly slid into a seated position in his hospital bed. Sam silently shook his head no, the information honestly being news to him. "The night we went to prom" Dwight continued "He said he could tell she would be my wife, solely by the way I looked at her" he allowed a dry chuckle escape his chest as the memory actually came to him with a new, and relatively normal ease which was amazing since so much of his mind was a jumbled heap of them. "I didn't understand how he could see something I didn't figure out until later. I mean how could he see that? And with the way life tosses and turns anything could have happened, that would have prevented us from being together. His observation baffled me all of these years. And I didn't figure it out, not until I saw your face when you looked at Mercedes sitting across from you at our table. Then I knew exactly what he meant" he smiled turning his attention on a shocked Sam. Dwight gave a teeth baring grin as he pointed out "I mean, I even took the time to remember her name for God's sake" eliciting a small laugh from his son. "That has to account for something. And that, Sam, is life. And she's a part of your life and deserves consideration"

"Well" Sam sadly slumped into his chair "She may have been, but I screwed that all up" he confessed to his father. "Now she most likely doesn't want anything to do with me now, let alone be a part of my life."

"Well" Dwight pondered studying his son's demeanor "have you actually asked her to be a part of it?"

Sam bit down on his plump bottom lip, noticing that his father pointed out the simplest of truths, he had never formally asked her to be anything more than friends who would on occasion be physical.

"Daddy!" a high pitched voice squealed, breaking Sam's concentration. He looked up to find Stacy bounding into the room, straight into their father's open arms.

"Oh Cricket" He soothed as he scooped her into his arms, squeezing her tightly, savoring the moment. Mary followed close behind, with Steven bringing up the rear, finding the closest wall to prop himself against.

Mary quickly placed a beautiful bouquet of flowers on Dwight's hospital tray, and rushed over to her husband to embrace him, narrowly missed their youngest. "Hey you" she whispered relieved to see her love up and alert.

"Hey" he soothed, while smoothing his hand over her the back of her hair before letting her go to take her in.

"You gave us a scare" she chocked a bit looking him deep in his eyes.

"I know" he admitted "I'm so sorry"

"No. It's okay" she corrected him understanding that he had no control over his actions. "In fact the doctors are coming up with a new protocol for you, that may help to keep you lucid longer" she smiled smoothing his hair, placing her forehead against his. His only response was a smile and a silent prayer that whatever the doctors came up with, it would work, because although he failed to tell his family, he missed them, just as much as they missed his "healthy" self.

He hugged Mary again, and peered over her shoulder, to find their second child hanging back. "Hey bud" he called to Steven "Come here" he requested.

Reluctantly, Steven pushed off of the wall and made his way to his father. Mary slid out of the way allowing Dwight to hug his son tight, a physical thank you for his strength. Steven squeezed back, a mix of emotions. "I swear you just keep getting bigger" Dwight laughed looking at how tall his son was, and how broad his, now, thin shoulders stretched. Steven smiled, showing only a few of his bracket covered teeth. "And thanks for the flowers" he added to the room.

"Mercedes sent them" Stacy chirped

"She did?" Sam chimed in, having been quiet, just enjoying the beautiful scene of his family reunited.

"Yep!" Stacy confirmed

"Yeah" Steven corroborated. "She called me to ask how dad was, our address, and the name of the flowers that were in our yard. I wasn't sure of the name so I sent her a picture of them" he shrugged off.

"It has a card too" the youngest Evans smiled, sliding a small white envelope from the lush vegetation. Sam held his hand out, but she strolled past him bragging "It's not for you! Here Daddy."

Dwight sat up a bit straighter, taking the card from her delicate digits. He slid a small note out, reading it for the silently awaiting room"

Since you can't go to your garden, it will come to you.

Get well soon,

Mercedes

Sam's eyes drifted in astonishment of Mercedes kindness. "Well" Dwight huffed "That's very sweet. Sam when you go back to New York and talk to her, make sure you thank her for me" he added in a tone that indicated that Sam knew what he must do.

Sam nodded, looking into his father's eyes, with a new light, and motivation to set things right. "I sure will" he confirmed.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, back in New York:<strong>

Mercedes lounged silently on her couch, her head cradled in her mother Dorothy's lap, enthralled in one of her favorite movies.

A far cry then she had been the previous day after she and Sam's argument. She wondered out of the building, into the blaring summer sun. Slinking into her truck, she started and headed home, taking a much more scenic route, not wanting to get back so quickly. When she pulled into the front of her building, she wondered around the city she loved, not wanting to face her apartment, finding the thought of going into gave her a small sense of captivity. She walked for hours, on a blind sightseeing tour. She looked around but failed to really see any breath taking sights, her mind preoccupied with other thing. She walked in such an auto pilot mode, she looked up and magically she was outside her building. She didn't even remember the trek back to her starting point, it being a blur of faces and building.

Once inside of her apartment, she plopped down onto her couch, her mind still reeling, needing anything to focus on other than her fight. In a small stroke of genius, she whipped out her phone, quickly retrieving Steven's number, happy she had retained it. After a short conversation with the teen about his father, if he and his family were okay, their home address, and anxiously waiting for the picture of the flowers in his front yard, Mercedes placed a second call to a local florist she held a great working relationship with. She trusted them to know the quality of arrangement she expected, and plus they owed her a favor from a previous engagement.

And just as quickly as it came, her new found energy was zapped. She collapsed on her couch in a fetal position, the emotions she was trying so desperately to forget, hitting her like a large wave. She stayed that way for, what she could only assume by the change in the natural light in her home, hours, just attempting to process everything.

The only thing shaking her from her trance was the sound of knocking on her door. She knew it was silly, and pretty selfish, but she irrationally, for only a small moment, hopped it was Sam. She opened the door to find two large mahogany eyes that mirrored her own, with the exception of the wisdom of a longer life lived showing around their edges. Dorothy smiled timidly, before joking "I've learned that knocking is a necessity if I don't want to walk into a socialite sex tape." Mercedes stood before her wordlessly, almost as if possessed by some other worldly being. "Look, I know I bailed on the fourth with only a note" Dorothy continued after a moment of silence, assuming that was the reason her child had failed to welcome her in. "But Marco called, and you were dreading the Hamptons anyway so I figured..." she trailed off noticing that her apology seemed to have no effect on her. She looked into her eyes and found the normally warm fountains, seemed void of all emotions. "Mercedes?" she questioned nervously "Baby are you okay?" Looking past her into her apartment to see if she could spot any signs of trouble, finding all electronics and lights off. "Are you busy? Is Sam here?"

And with the final question, just the mention of his name, the dam exploded and Mercedes broke down into tears. The ones that had been collecting since she pulled off for the airport in Memphis. Scared and shocked, honestly not remembering the last time she witnessed her daughter cry, She dropped her bags, and scooped her youngest into her arm in an effort to quell her sobs.

Mercedes, when she finally calmed down enough to form complete sentences, explained everything to her mother, from the time she left for Sam's that afternoon she ditched her, to his cutting words to his own mother, to the weeks of not speaking, and finally their big blow up earlier that morning. Nothing was held back. Mercedes told all, relieved she could finally talk to anyone about her and Sam. At the close of her sniffle filled rant, her mother sat perfectly still, mentally digesting everything she was just told. "Well" she sighed after a few seconds of contemplation. Mercedes winced waiting for a load of righteous indignation to spill from her mother's lips, starting the obligatory "I told you so", the likes of which would make her regret confiding in her at all.

But, it never came. Dorothy stood up, pulling Mercedes up with her, put her arms around her baby while soothing, "How about you get into some PJ's, while I make a quick ice cream run, and we can talk about everything some more?"

Mercedes was stunned by not only the suggestion, but the fact that it included a fatty dairy based snack. "Really?" she quizzed, her eyes following her mother as she collected her purse.

"Yeah. Cookie dough still your favorite?" she asked walking towards the door. She turned back in enough time to see Mercedes nod in agreement. "Okay, I'll be back"

That evening, the two ate ice cream and talked early into the next morning, in an attempt to untangle the knot that was Mercedes emotions. By the end of their session, they both agreed that she was totally justified in her anger towards Sam. But the two parted ways on how she handled it. By the next day they found that they were still at an impasse on the issue, and agreed to a mini movie fest of Mercedes favorites to take their mind off of her problems.

"Hump" Mercedes half heartedly chucked from her mother's lap, as the male lead of the movie rudely brushed off a call by the best friend of his lost love.

Dorothy sat up a bit to look down into the eyes of her daughter. "What?" inquired.

"Nothing" Mercedes huffed

"No, it's something" her mother pressed "What?"

"It's just" Mercedes relented sitting up "why did he have to be so damn stubborn? I never did understand that about this movie"

"Well" Dorothy reasoned "he was hurt and scared. And she didn't make it easy for him, admitting that she didn't trust him and all" she defended.

"But, he didn't make it easy for her, with all of the things he did" Mercedes shot back in a defensive tone.

"Are we talking about the movie still, or are we back on you and Sam?" Dorothy questioned noticing the edge in her voice.

Mercedes fell back against the couch, knowing the jig was up and that her mother clearly saw the fact that she was more upset about her personal problems with Sam. "It's just" she started, her shoulder slumping forward "if he would have just said what he claims he really wanted, none of this would be an issue. And we wouldn't have ended the way we did."

"Oh, baby girl" Dorothy shook her head, "your father and I did a real job on you with all of our stories. Me probably more them him" she admitted under her breath. "Here is a lifelong tip" she offered turning towards her youngest "Love is not perfect. It never is, never will be."

"I know Mamma" Mercedes rolled her eyes, annoyed to be treated as if she was starry eyed teen.

"No." her mother swiftly cut her off. "Listen to me. There is no perfect love. Love, real love, is nothing like these movies. It's not all big gifts, sweet words, and kissing. Love is the times in between all of that. It's the moments you don't really notice. It's the times when it's hard to hold on, but you do anyway. It's something you can't control or write a script for. It's what that other person does when you're not looking. That is love." Dorothy turned her attention towards the television as a breathless Darius Lovejoy watched as his paramour Nina road off, leaving him unnoticed on a train platform. "She never even knew he did all of that to get her back. It was everything before that brought her back to him."

Mercedes softened, her arms folded across her chest. Dorothy scooted closer to her, bringing her into her body. "And you wouldn't want it any other way. Because if were always perfect you wouldn't notice when it's really good or what you really have."

"I thought you didn't like Sam?" Mercedes eyed skeptically wondering how her mother could so easily grant him the benefit of doubt.

"No" she clarified "I didn't like your arrangement. Because you're worth much more than that" Dorothy reached up, giving her daughter a loving caress. "And I want you to find love. But you have to know when it's real"

"Well how do I know what I have?" Mercedes questioned.

"When you know how you feel without them. If you're perfectly fine, or only a little hurt that they're not around, or the way they made you feel was only superficial, then it wasn't love. But, if you feel like your world is tossed for a loop, or you can't find your way" she continued turning Mercedes head so they were looking directly at each other "Or even worse, it causes you to throw all of your personal fears, and self judgments on the ones you love, or run off for even a chance of a possible taste of that feeling, even if it's an imposter emotion, leaving behind the people who you really love, and really love you? Well..." she trailed off "it was real" she confessed moving strands of Mercedes bangs from her eyes.

In that moment Mercedes understood she was speaking from her own life experience. "Marco?" she questioned sympathetically.

Dorothy just shook her head, a sad smile plastered on her face. "Long before him baby."

Mercedes racked her brain, thinking of which of her many former boy toys, her mother could possibly be eluding to. From what she could remember, her mother never seemed particularly bothered by losing any of them, finding their replacements rather quickly. Honestly there was only one relationship Mercedes remembered her mother being genuinely upset about. Only one that caused Dorothy to stay in bed for days, watching sappy love movies on the television. In fact it was around the time Mercedes started to heavily watch them, as a way to oddly bond with her. "Daddy?" she whispered amazed by her mother's confession.

Dorothy simply blinked, which was the only admission Mercedes needed. She wondered why this was the first time she considered her mother still possibly harboring any feelings for her estranged father, other than hate. She knew that her father shattered her mother's heart, but it still amazed her that she was still feeling the residual effects of it this many years later astounded her. And just how miserable she must have been for so long, attempting to replicate her emotions for one man, with each new suitor, to only be disappointed. Mercedes always viewed her mother's relationship hopping as her reclaiming her independence and her heart one relationship at a time. But with her confession, she finally saw she was an addict after that first high, but falling miserably short every time. She turned her head in enough time to find Darius kissing Nina in a light rain after she went back to his old hangout. She questioned if she could have the nerve to go to Sam in that same manner. Would he even be possibly receptive to it?

Sighing as the credits rolled she turned towards her mother and smiled wearily sweetly asking "how about another one?" And although they cued up a fresh new movie, Mercedes attention was elsewhere as she contemplated just how bad she felt without Sam, and if she, like her mother, would have the ability to feel that way for possibly years to come.


	29. Chapter 29: Moving Moutians

**Hi guys. So, its be a while huh? No, it's been too damn long lol. But it's taken me a while to want to write (life has been... well life). So, I finally put electronic pen to electronic paper and this is the next chapter. Thanks again for keeping up with this fic. And to my reviewers thanks for your input, request, and suggestions (ps Pancakes and Syrup worked great! *wink) **

**So as I asked last year and will be asking until this bad boy is done please.**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review**

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><p><strong>Moving Moutians<strong>

"Thanks for coming over guys. I know it was short notice" Sam greeted in an apologetic tone, as a majority of his band mates piled into the apartment he shared with Finn. "I know it's early"

"You point this out, and yet you failed to provide any form of breakfast" Santana grumbled, her arm folded tightly. "No omelet bar, no pancakes, a slice of bacon, nothing" she snarled, huffing as she sank back onto the couch.

Sam had to admit, he had failed to work out all of the logistics of this impromptu meeting. After his father was back at home, and he was reassured that the situation was stable, Sam hopped the first plane back to New York. Tired of the games and misunderstandings, Sam was determined to set things right between he and Mercedes, and to finally tell her his true feelings. So focused on finding a way to get back into Mercedes good graces, he sent a mass text message to the rest of the group and their significant others, that he wanted to meet early at his apartment, before the plane had even left its gate. But now, as he was standing in front of his requested audience, his mouth quickly drying and, his emotions in a jumbled knot, he realized, he hadn't properly prepared how to express himself, yet again.

"Yeah" he sighed, regretfully, wishing he had at least written a few things down. "I don't think it will last long, I just had an announcement to make"

"Yeah, we know" Noah rudely interrupted, rolling his eyes deep into his head. "Just make your announcement, and get it over with" he instructed in a curt, dry tone.

"Yeah," Artie agreed. "If I knew this was the point of the meeting, I would have skipped it. Mercedes obviously did" he mumbled, pointing out the obvious absence of their friend.

"Right" Tina chimed in. "Look Sam, we already know your leaving. Just make it official, so we can formally start looking for your replacement."

"I-wait?" Sam stopped confused not only his bands obvious hostility, but the subject of their anger. "What are you guys talking about? I'm being replaced?"

"Sam, they already know" Quinn huffed irritated by the whole cloak and dagger tone of the dialog. "You're leaving"

"Finn told us days ago. We were just waiting for you to finally man up and tell us to our face that you're running out on us" Puck added with increased aggression, only slightly comforted by a calming hand on his arm by Quinn.

Sam shot his attention across to his roommate, who was curled up with Rachel. "Look dude" Finn piped up "I told them that you're probably taking the new job in California."

"Yeah" Puck butted in "we know you're outta here. Just say it so we can all move on"

Sam closed his eyes, completely ambushed and baffled by direction of the conversation. With his father in the hospital, and Mercedes not talking to him, the job offer had honestly fallen by the wayside. "Okay" he said calmly taking a deep breath. "I guess I'll be making two announcements then."

"Here we go" Artie tossed his hands up, rolling his eyes, readying himself for Sam to confirm their suspicions.

"First of all" Sam pressed on "I am _not_ moving to California. I'm staying here"

"Really?" Finn questioned, obviously thrown for a loop "Even after all of the questions you asked me?"

"Yeah guys" Sam smiled "I feel like I've found a second home here. Back in Tennessee, I didn't have a whole lot of people I trusted. But since the first day I got here, I had a feeling this is where I needed to be. I mean, all of you have welcomed me into your group so quickly and easily, it's been amazing. You all have made me feel like I've been around for years. I'm not going to repay your kindness by just picking up and leaving. Plus, I'm excited about what we have going here, and the work we've been doing. I want to be around to watch it grow."

"So, you're staying?" Tina asked, requesting confirmation of his announcement.

"Even with Santana's form of "tough love", I'm staying" he joked. "You're not getting rid of me that easily"

"Well, that's nice" Santana smiled sincerely at Sam. "We are happy you decided to stay, especially since I never really got a chance to spelunk in that cavernous opening in your face. There's probably gold in you back molars" she ribbed staring directly at his mouth. "But, you know what would have made this touching moment just that much more sweet? You saying all of that while I was eating a piece of bacon" she growled before standing to leave. "And with that, I'm headed to breakfast. Brit?" she summed her girlfriend.

"No! Wait there's more!" Sam called to the room that seemed to take Santana's lead, as they started to follow her towards the door.

"Well, give me the Cliff's Notes later." she waved off, turning to continue on to her next destination. "Preferably, after I have a full stomach."

Seeing that he was losing everyone's attention, Sam panicked knowing that he need their assistance if he was ever going to get Mercedes back. "I'm in love with Mercedes!" he blurted out, throwing his hands up in a stopping motion, knowing that it was the only way to keep the room from completely clearing out.

His rash confession worked better than he anticipated. His declaration caused the room to stop dead in their tracks, and face him immediately, staring at the slightly wild eyed blonde as he licked his now drying lips as he breathed heavily out of his wide mouth.

"You... What?" Artie, the first to speak after his statement.

"I'm...I'm in love... with Mercedes" Sam repeated, noticing that it was the first time he had knowingly admitted his true feelings for is estranged friend. "That's was the main reason I called you guys over. To tell you...that I- I'm in love... with Mercedes" he said again, actually liking the way it rolled off his tongue.

"I knew it!" Kurt shrieked excitedly, finally allowing the weight of Sam's words sink in.

"No you didn't" Puck argued

"Yeah, and if anyone knew it was me" Artie announced "I even asked you about it!" he frowned feeling as if he had been lied to.

"I didn't feel that way about her then" Sam clarified to his friend, attempting to sooth his disappointed glare. " If I did, I didn't know it. This all just... it just all kinda happened."

"Well either way, I'm going to kill her! She didn't tell me you two were together!" Kurt pouted, automatically pulling out his phone to wake his absent friend. "And we just ate lunch the other day" he huffed "And she didn't mention a thing about you two. She seemed kind of put out when I asked if she had spoken to you" he explained as he focused on pulling up her number.

"Well, we're not actually together" Sam admitted as he lunged to place a hand over the face of his phone, causing Kurt halt his action. "In fact she doesn't know"

"She doesn't know?" Sugar squealed while bouncing up and down like an child on Christmas morning. "So when are you going to tell her?"

"I don't know" he smiled a bit, as he watched his friends take their place back in the den. "She- well she's not exactly talking to me right now" he divulged rubbing the back of his neck nervously."In fact, I think she kind of hates me right now" he confessed, a pit of fear taking root in his chest at the thought that his paramour could harbor any ill will toward him.

"Wait, why would she hate you?" Quinn grilled, scooting towards the edge of her seat

Sam bit his lip nervously, not wanting to have to go through the entire story of their agreement, missed opportunities, and misunderstandings. "Well a lot of things happened, that ended up with me... kind of yelled at her" he acknowledged cautiously, but still cutting right to the chase. His eyes darted quickly towards Santana, who without hesitation reached for her ponytail. Having been warned that she kept a blade concealed in her locks he quickly added "But I didn't mean any of it. It all just got so... messed up. You gotta know guys, I really care about her, and I need to make it up to her. That's why I called you here this morning. I need your help. I'm lost and don't know what to do or how to fix us. But, I really want to. I really want to be with her" he pleaded. His shoulders relaxed a bit as he saw Santana's hand's drop from her hair, after Brittany lovingly touched her shoulder. The room's eyes softened, hearing the genuine desperation in Sam's voice. "I know you're her friends, so any suggestions on what I can do will be taken without question."

After a long pause, Finn finally moved, standing up tall and proud among his constituents. He made his way to the front of the room, standing in front of Sam. His face was stern, his eyes a bit hard, and his eyebrows furrowed. "First of all" he started his voice holding a bit of grit, "we're not just Mercedes' friends, we're her family" he corrected. Sam lowered his eyes a bit at this declaration. "And we consider you a part of this family too" Finn continued, causing a bright gleam of hope to illuminate Sam's face. Sam scanned the room to find everyone either nodding in agreement, or smiling. "So of course we'll help you" Finn conceded, placing a kind hand on Sam's shoulder.

"Thanks so much guys!" Sam beamed, excited to get started "Now I was thinking-"

"Oh hold on" Finn stopped him. "Like I said, we will be glad to help you. But first, there is an order of business that must be handled before we get started" he said, a slight sneer taking over his normally kind, and slightly aloof face. "Mike?" Finn called over his shoulder to his friend, while keeping his eyes trained on Sam. Mike stood up silently as a physical answer. "Can you do me a favor, and lock the door? We need to have a little "chat" with Sam here before we assist him"

Mike nodded noiselessly and left the room. The loud thud of the lock confirmed to Sam, that the rest of the room would be the ones talking, while he would be hearing all of the physical harm that would befall him if he ever hurt Mercedes again.

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><p><strong>Later that day:<strong>

Sam tentatively raised his clenched fist to Mercedes' door, with full intentions to knock. However, he dropped it before it had a chance to make contact. He stepped away from his intended target, attempting to gain his composure. "Sam" he egged himself on "just do it!" He shook his hands while taking two deep breaths, reminding himself that if he could survive the morning, he could do this. With the groups promises of bodily mutilation, and death threats so graphic that he would need dental records just to identify his remains, if he ever hurt Mercedes again, Sam was sure that any obscenity hurled at him from Mercedes was surmountable. But, as he stood face to face with her door, he questioned what would hurt more, the blade that Santana had placed strategically near his manhood, or knowing that all of the fear that was placed in him earlier that day was for nothing, and that he and Mercedes were truly over, and he didn't have a snowballs chance in hell at making it right.

Taking another gulp of air Sam demanded to himself that he "man up" and just knock and find out his fate once and for all. He quickly remembered the plan they all came up with once the threats stopped. The first step in gaining her forgiveness was for him to get her to meet him at the designated spot. And to do that he had to initially beg for her to show up.

Using that as a catalyst, he swiftly knocked at her door before panic paralyzed him once again. Unfortunately, the rush of nerves and adrenaline caused him to knock much louder, and much more urgent then he originally intended. He inhaled deeply, his stomach turning from the sound of movement on the other side of her door. Licking his lips, biting the lower one in anticipation for the door to open, and then quickly shut in his face once she realized it was him. He also prepared for a barrage of heart stopping profanity to leave her beautiful mouth, crushing him completely. He instantaneously played a mirada of scenarios in his head how she would react. However, no matter the number of outcomes he conceived, he never prepared himself for what he got.

"Well" he heard sung sweetly to him, as he stared back into big auburn eyes that took him in, in a deep, long disapproving stare.

"Uh... Hello" he answered back, shocked to find Dorothy in place of her daughter. "Umm... Is Mercedes home?" he asked, attempting to peek beyond her door, into the apartment untrusting that she would tell him the truth. Dorothy quickly narrowed the space between she and the door, preventing his visual intrusion into the living space.

"No" she answered curtly.

Silence.

The awkward kind. The kind that would make an outside observer embarrassed for the ones actually in trenched in it. Sam chewed his lip again, trying to figure out his next step as Dorothy examined him, as she slightly enjoyed watching him squirm.

"Well" he finally found, in a pleading manner, despite his best efforts. "Can you please tell her I came by? I really have to talk to her?"

More silence as she simply stared at him.

Sam turned on his heels to retreat, positive that his message would never reach its intended reciever. He sighed, defeated, already attempting to find an alternate way for Mercedes to hear his apology.

"So" he heard over his slumped shoulder, startling him just a bit. "How is your father?" Dorothy questioned.

"Better" was all he replied turning in astonishment, understanding that when Mercedes didn't go to any of her close friends, she must had found comfort in her mother.

"Good to hear" she shrugged in the most nonchalant manner. "She was worried" she reveled, keeping a steady and slightly cool eye on the blonde.

"I wanted to thank her in person for the flowers" he lied quickly adding "for my father"

"Is that what you wanted?" she quizzed with a confident and knowing smirk, seeing clean through his excuse . "Because a nice thank you card, or voicemail would have done the same"

"Ms. Jones, I mean Ms. Davis" He corrected remembering their first encounter. "I don't mean any disrespect when I say this" he clarified " but I'd rather talk to her about my reasons for coming by " he admitted.

"So be it" she shrugged un phased by his words. Dorothy moved to close the door, but was surprised when Sam's large hand gruffly stopped her. He had quickly realized that this maybe his only time to relay his honest feelings about Mercedes to her mother.

"I'm sorry" he apologized for startling her with his action, quickly removing his hand from the door, making sure she understood he didn't intend to frighten or intimidate her. "I just need to say..." he paused searching for the right words "I understand why you don't like me" deciding on going for the blunt approach and laying all of his feelings out on the table. "But I need you to know, I care a great deal about Mercedes. And I know it may not seem that way, but if she gives me the chance I want to make us more than... what we were."

His confession was met with her eyes scanning over his taller frame in either amusement or disbelief, Sam couldn't tell, and in all honesty, didn't feel it was his place to ask. After being stared what felt like an hour, as another bout of painful silence blanketed them, he turned to leaved once again, feeling somewhat satisfied. He may not have had the opportunity to beg Mercedes back, but he held out hope that he had convinced her mother of his intentions, warming her just enough to at the very least tell her he came by to talk to her.

"You really care?" he heard from behind his back, this time in a slightly curious tone.

"I- I love her" he revealed turning to look straight into Dorothy's eyes, granting her a serious stare. "I actually came here to get her to come to something I'm planning to prove it. You know, in order to win her back" he blush.

"A grand gesture" Dorothy guessed, fighting the a smile.

"Yeah" he stepped closer to her, a spark of hope flaring in him that he had possibly won her over, noticing a ray of warmth in her tone. "It's a surprise, but I really need her to be there. So if you could please tell her I came by" he fell just short of begging.

Dorothy folded her arms and sighed, as she examined the love sick man in front of her. "How about you come in, and tell me about the plan" noticing his face lit up instantaneously at her suggestion. "I sent her to a day of pampering at a spa, so she will be gone for a while" she confessed opening the door wider, officially welcoming Sam in.

Sam paused, studying the older woman, elated that she appeared genuinely ready to assist him. After getting over the initial shock, he simply said "Thank you" as he made his way across the threshold.

However, before he had made it completely inside, he felt the force of Dorothy's hand on his chest, halting his progression. He looked down at the smaller woman and found her eyes narrow and fierce. "But just know, if you hurt her again-" she started to warn

"Trust me" Sam reassured her "I have been already threatened with bodily mutiliation by the rest of the group all morning. In fact, you may have to get in line just to get a piece" he joked half heartily.

Dorothy chuckled sinisterly. "Oh Dear" she smiled. " Trust me, I am _ALWAYS_ at the front of that line" she growled. "And _you_ can trust _me_ on that" she reassured as she closed the door behind him.


End file.
